Sectioned
by ElleThom
Summary: <html><head></head>A Go Between of sorts.  Martha Jones meets the Doctors.  This is a set of ficlets,stories of Martha meeting all of her Doctors.  The sequel to Informed Consent will be forthcoming, think of this as a little respite of sorts.</html>
1. Chapter 1

**So this is not a sequel, a series of betweens and yes there will be a sequel boys and girls.**

**I had originally planned for a series of these in order, but Liz Sladen's death really hit me**

**I was going to hang up my fanfiuc pen. But the show does go on. Sarah Jane was my first companion, and if that tells you how old i am well then oh well. I love Doctor Who, i have loved the show since i was three years old. I loved Sarah jane, and well this is my good bye to her.**

**You will be missed Old thing  
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"You decide to fix the kitchen sink, now?" she asked the shoes sticking out from around the kitchen cabinet.

A distant but insistent "mmmhmm" answered her query.

Martha shrugged and moved over to the coffee pot to flip it on. In her experience, her husband wavered between loathing coffee and singing its praises.

"Its five in the morning, don't think that I don't realize your timing is in direct correlation with my mother's attendance to her prize roses." She spoke over her shoulder.

Another insistent affirmation chortled her from behind.

"Is that all I am going to get this morning? Servile acquiescence?" she grinned, leaning against the side board.

He did not answer, and it wasn't until the early morning sun hit the shoes on the floor that she realized they were different. Noticeably different. In fact, the legs attached to them were longer, but lacked the spindly quality she had become accustomed to. "Doctor?" she asked, advancing cautiously.

The man under the sink offered a low long curse right before a spray of water tormented from above his head.

"Way to fix the faucet" she grinned.

The man that emerged from the sink was both wet and tall; he shook his wild curly head and offered a large grin to the small woman. "Hallo Martha." He grinned big.

"Doctor?" she asked again, stepping back from the stranger.

The Doctor moved to the small table facing the large bay window and donned both his coat and scarf. "Sinks a bit of a wash." He grinned at his own joke. A wave of his sonic and the water stopped.

"Should have known it was you." She grumped moving to the closet.

"Oh?" he asked

"Always a mess." She muttered again.

He stood motionless in the center of the kitchen, hands jammed deep into his pockets. "She's gone." He nearly whispered.

Martha pretended not to hear him, still angry over the fresh mess of her kitchen floor.

"Martha." He spoke again, louder and more gruffly.

"Yeah." She turned, wielding the mop like a light saber.

He took the mop from her hands, placed it on the other side of the sink and enfolded himself into his wife. "I need you." He spoke softly.

"Hey," she soothed, allowing him to sink into her. "Hey, what is all this about?"

"She's gone." The Doctor hiccupped.

"Who?" she asked quietly.

"Sarah Jane."

He'd cried himself into a sort of stunned silence. Martha sat on the couch with his head in her lap. She knew he could not have been comfortable, all those limbs squeezed into a tight ball, but there he was, wearing an unfamiliar and sad face.

She didn't ask him what happened, didn't speak even. It was his way, always his way to keep busy when emotions are too big to deal with. He had no more wanted to fix the sink than she wanted him to fix it. He knew she usually handled things around the house; the Doctor's presence at her home was more officious than actual.

Seeing him this morning had scared her, big. He had not been this unhinged in a long time, and the sink should have given him away. The last time he tried to fix something around the house was when the Brig died.

"I miss her." He broke.

Francine, upon seeing the scene in the sitting room had wisely moved around the room and gone into the kitchen to finish cleaning the mess.

"I know." She nodded.

"So fragile you lot. So easily felled. So easily broken. "He rose suddenly, shaking himself free of her grasp. "See, this is why." He started jerkily. He shook his head and paced like a panther in a cage.

"Doctor," she warned, knowing the inside of him enough to know a rant when he got up to one.

"How is it that I have ended up with you anyway?" he asked angrily. "You'll die eventually."

"We are all dying Doctor." She offered evading any spoilers.

"But," he came and sat down next to her, holding her small hands in his large one. "How it that you and I are is bonded this way?" he asked, pleadingly.

"It's complicated." She assured him.

"But you will die, before me too." He sniffed.

"I wouldn't be too sure about that." Martha insisted.

"How? How do you know that?" he fumed.

Martha pulled his hands so that his body came to hers again, and she was again assailed by the scent of him, the temporal and temporary existence of his nature. "I know." She assured him again.

He seemed to be placated by her words, reassured by her touch. "I couldn't lose you that way."

"Nothing is etched in stone Doctor; you know that better than anyone. I could lose you first, or we could be separated in time and space. Death is a distance, just like any other."

They sat in the lightening room as the son rose above the distant hills. He cried on her shoulder and she was reminded of a time when they discovered she was pregnant. Only two months ago, but it was a different him, and yet that very same bone shaking sadness.

He told her of stories about his Sarah Jane, an ardent intelligent and unflappable girl who would not be easily frightened. Daleks, Cybermen, and creatures that would give anyone else nightmares.

But not his Sarah Jane.

It was hours before they moved from the spot. She had needed to go to the bathroom, but had stayed with him, more out of fear than loyalty. He seemed to be made of glass, this dazzlingly brilliant creature she was forever tied to. He seemed that a good wind would shatter him, and blow him off into the distant corners of the universe.

So she held on for dear life.

By the time she left him, he was sleep ing peacefully on the couch, long legs splayed over the edge of the sofa and snoring softly.

"Is that him?" Francine asked incredulously. She had entered the sitting room after two in the afternoon, worried about the health of her newly pregnant daughter.

Martha nodded and moved toward the living room. Magically, as she passed her mobile on the desk in her office, it rang. Jumping for, the voice on the other end was as familiar as her own.

"I just thought you should know," jack began, a hiccup in his own voice."

"I know Jack," she sniffled.

"He told you." Jack spoke in that cracked voice that told of absolute grief.

"Yeah." She nodded. "Sort of."

Jack rattled off a litany of directions and instructions. Martha nodded as he spoke as if he could see her head moved. They exchanged stilted phrases and syncopated words of closure and sadness.

"She was an amazing woman." Jack announced.

"Yes, she was."

"She meant a lot to him you know?"

"Yeah," Martha nodded. "I know."

"Will he come to the funeral?" Jack asked.

"I am not sure, Jack. You know him, no good with goodbyes."

"Don't I know it." He laughed bitterly.

"Jack," Martha offered, pinching her nose with her fingers.

"Yeah, well, just let him know when and where, ok?" Jack hung up the phone, leaving off the goodbye himself. It was without judgment that she set the phone down and moved to the sitting room to check on her husband.

He was already gone.

It was a beautiful ceremony. She had so many friends there, so many people that she had helped and affected. People who she would have laughed herself to have seen there.

Luke stood next to a tall older man, with graying hair and a stiff manner. Martha had met Harry Sullivan before, but was surprised to see how much shorter he seemed on this day.

"Hello Dr. Sullivan," Martha offered with a hug and a pat.

"Harry," he choked, "We are not at UNIT right now Martha." He tried to smile, but failed miserably.

Martha nodded and took Luke into her arms. "You ok?" she asked the young man.

"I will be," he nodded into her embrace.

As the mourners left the gravesite, Martha found herself looking around for any sign of the Doctor, any sign that he had come, or would come, or had left something to let others know what she meant to him.

But he never showed, and Martha was the last one to leave the grave. She watched Jack help Harry and Luke into a cab and saluted her from his Torchwood vehicle.

She waved back to him and began to walk to her own waiting car.

"He hates goodbyes." She tried to reassure herself, but could not help but feel the word coward seep into her brain at the Doctor's unwillingness to pay respects to someone he cared so deeply for. Then, she cursed herself for thinking that way about the man she loved. Then she wondered if he would ditch her own funeral, then cursed herself again for her own morbidity.

The three of them sat at a small pub not far away from 22 Bannerman Road. Jack, Gwen and Martha, drinking themselves into sanity.

"Luke is going to finish school" Gwen affirmed.

Martha nodded, glad that Sarah Jane's son was to keep himself busy and out of grief.

"Harry is going to help with him, along with Jo Grant and a few others of us." Jack nodded.

"He won't be alone." Gwen assured them.

"He should not be." Martha shook her head. "She was too young. It's hard to say goodbye." She shook the tears away from her face.

"Get used to it." Jack muttered from over his drink.

"What?" Gwen asked, looking between the two companions, not missing the strange strangled looks that they seemed to pass between each other.

Jack turned to the tiny Welsh woman, "Oh, you don't know?" Jack asked, obvious that he had had too much to drink already.

"Jack," Martha warned, wondering if it wasn't time to get toward home.

But Jack shook his own head again and turned silent to his gin.

"What does he mean Martha?" Gwen asked her friend.

"Its complex and this isn't really the time or place for it right now Gwen." Martha eased.

"Never should have expected him to come." Jack went on.

"I was surprised not to see him there too," Gwen agreed, accepting the change of subject. For now.

"Coward." Jack roughed.

"You of all people know that is a lie." Martha insisted, getting up from her seat and gathering her things.

Jack seemed to ignore her as Martha bid her goodbyes and fled from the pub,

She drove the three hours home in silence, no music no radio. She tried to hold her anger in as she pulled into the remote rural yard, parked her car and walked up the drive.

The familiar shape of the TARDUS stood in its usual spot, shadowed in the darkening night. She ran to the box, but stopped as she watched an older gentleman move solemnly toward the box. He turned to meet her gaze and opened the door.

By the time Martha made it to the spot, the TARDIS was already gone.

She entered the house, met by an anxious Gleep and a note on the kitchen table informing her that her mother had gone to Tish's to help her with her impending wedding.

Martha welcomed the silence, marked only by Gleep's fluttering wings as he flew alongside her as if he had something to say.

But he couldn't talk, and for that she was immensely grateful

On the Doctor's pillow on his side of their bed, was a program from the visitation, held in place by a red rose.


	2. Nine

**So i am posting the second part to this little series here. Its Nine as per request of Barbara. So she gave me the idea to make this a democracy of sorts. You can vote via review to tell me which Doctor Martha should meet next. I know exactly which stories to do for each, but if i have a little help with knowing what my audience wants, it'll help the muse get kicked into gear. So when you reveiw just tell me which one you want next**

**the thing is, i know everyone wants Ten, and i have something special planned for that one, and as such will be last in the series, and probably more than one chapter. But, any others, just tell me in your reviews and the one with the most votes gets the next story. Oh if there is a tie, then i will take the first person who reviewed **

**Happy reading, i am having a blast with this, and i LOVED writing Nine, i sort of see him as Francine as great sparing partners, and i reserve the right to bring him back in at any time for more confrontations **

A hand grabbed hers as she reached for the light.

"Don't" he warned in a feral growl.

She was too stunned to speak, and too afraid to even gulp. For entire moments she \assumed this was how her life would end, in the kitchen with a stranger.

"I'm alone here." She offered to the strange shadow that clutched at her arm.

But the man released her wrist and moved away from her. "Where is she?" he asked in that same hushed gravelly voice.

"Who?" The woman asked, mentally congratulating her own stable voice. "I told you I am here alone."

Though she could not see his facial expression in the darkened four thirty of the kitchen, she could feel it, hear it in his angry words. "Really?" he intoned. "Here alone?" his form leaned upon the counter. "No, you're not Francine. Where is she?"

"And you are?" she asked, finding more strength in her own steady hands and voice.

The room fell to a silence, one that was probably fleeting but seemed to hover in the air for hours. Then, in nothing and from nowhere the large form threw his head back and laughed. "I do like you Francine, I see where she gets it." He moved past her into the hallway that led to the living room. "She upstairs sleeping?" he asked jovially.

"Doctor?" she asked, finally allowing her guard to settle, but only a bit.

"Oh I don't bite," he grinned. "Well, unless Martha wants me too."

"Stop right there you two hearted git." Francine spoke evenly, as she flipped the light on against his original warning.

"What did you do that for?" he squinted. "And, Oi! Words hurt!" The Doctor mock pouted.

She took in his appearance leather jacket, menacing demeanor. Francine thought he resembled more a bouncer in a posh pub than a time travelling, life endangering, alien. "She is sleeping, she needs her rest."

"Why is she sick?" The Doctor's face suddenly turned serious. "Is she hurt?" He brought his body nearer to the older woman's "What's happened here?"

Francine folded her arms in deference to his attitude. "She's fine Doctor, just tired. "

He made a funny sound between his lips. "Tired, bah! Not too tired to see her mate? She can't be tired, she is still young yet, at least that is what I am guessing by looking at you. You can't be more than sixty yourself so what? She's about thirty now?"

"You talk as if you don't know." She shook her head.

"I don't at least not into I see her. Course, I could lick her to know for sure—"

Francine raised a hand to quell any further words from the alien's mouth. "I don't want to know what the two of you get up to. Really I don't. Really."

The Doctor grinned big and folded his arms again. Francine noticed the size of his ears and silently prayed that was a recessive trait, or whatever it was for them. She found herself wondering again how her life got so complicated, how things came to a point in her life where she lived with her daughter and was never sure what face her son in law would wield. "Why are you here?" she asked with no small amount of exasperation.

"Well, that is sorta personal isn't it?" he asked. "And obvious. I mean I am here to see my wife. Why are you here?"

"I live here." She retorted.

"So do I." he insisted.

"Which you?" she fired back.

"The me that here is here, now, in the sitting room, going to see my wife." The Doctor's eyes flashed a shade of blue that Francine had never seen before, on anything. He offered her a sneer as he turned toward the stairs.

Francine calmly stood as he climbed the stairs to the second floor. She listened as he thumped around the second floor opening and closing doors. Gleep had made his way out of the room, assessed the situation and the near humored glint from Francine, before sighing and going back into the guest room to sleep next to Martha.

"She's not up there.' He fired as he came down the stairs.

"I never said she was." Francine returned nonplussed.

The Doctor made a head tick toward the back of the hallway, a room at the end of the hall with a closed door. "She in there isn't she?" he asked.

"I just want her to get some sleep Doctor, she has been trying to take care of others and its time that she be taken care of for a while. " Francine sighed. "She's my daughter. I have to look after her in-betweens your drop ins."

"I don't do this too often, do I?" he asked.

"Scaring the shit out of me, or dropping in?" Francine returned.

"They are independent of each other?" he asked.

"Touché" she smiled with a shake of her head.

The Doctor scanned the room before moving toward the window. "Do you know what it is like to have no one?" he asked meekly, in an almost hushed tone.

"Excuse me?" she whispered..

The Doctor sighed and moved back over to Francine. They moved into the kitchen and she motioned for him to sit in the chair at the table. "You ever have a feeling of not having any anchor in the entire world?"

"I come from a large family." She drawled as she moved around the kitchen. "I was the oldest of six girls."

"Ouch." The Doctor shook his head. "Explains a lot." He smiled.

She turned and pointed the spatula at him before turning back to the breakfast she had started. "It was a challenge, but no to answer your question; I really don't know what it means to truly feel alone. Although," she sighed with a wistful stare upwards. "It has crossed my mind to wonder what it would be like. "

"No, you Don't" he shook his head.

"Right," she finished.

They continued in an odd silence until Francine placed a plate of food next to him and sat across from him with her own fry up. "Chips!" he smiled, diving into them with more gusto than Francine had ever seen.

"I heard they were a favorite of yours." She smiled as he wolfed down every stitch on his plate.

"She should be up soon." Francine nodded toward the other room.

The Doctor rose from the table and out into the other room.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

She came to consciousness after a dream about clubbing in a bar with Amy, Tish and Jack. They were the only humans there, everyone else there were dragons. The bouncer was moving toward her little group to throw them out for being the wrong species.

She awoke to find the bouncer in the chair next to her bed. "Hello," he spoke in that wriggly way that could only be once person.

"Doctor?" she asked.

"Well, looks like you are up." He smiled, threw himself out of the chair and began to kiss her face.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." She said, pushing him off of the bed. "You are a bit amorous."

"Well, you are beautiful." He said between kisses. "and this is a room, with a bed. You're in bed. And, oh imagine that! I came to see you."

"Doctor," she asserted.

"MMMMMmmmm" he answered.

"This isn't a good time for that." She gently pushed him away.

The Doctor stood and moved back to his seat. "It's not like its cheating or anything,." The Doctor pouted. "I don't see what the big deal is."

Martha huffed and threw back the covers. "The big deal is, " she began moving to wield herself out of bed. "Is this."

"Whoa!" the Doctor answered, eyes cartoonishly bulging from his head. "That is a complication."

"You could say that again." She smirked.

"How the hell did that happen?" the Doctor moved around her in a large circle, as if afraid she was going to blow at any minute.

"Really, you are going to ask that?"

"It's an honest question." He fumed, pacing in front of the bed.

"Birds do it, bees do it, even educated M.D,'s do it."

"Chris Carter was a knob." He fumed.

"Oi! Language."

"He can't hear me!" he pointed at her middle.

"That's not what you've told me." She folded her arms over her expanded chest.

The Doctor finally stopped moving and threw himself onto the chair again. "Do you know how dangerous this is?"

"You're one to talk." Martha was beginning to tire of the conversation. "And anyway, you are the one that said that this could never happen."

"Well I was wrong. And this is wrong." He fired. "And wrong is wrong Martha. I am telling you. This is wrong."

Martha got out of bed and shuffled for the bathroom across the hall. "Wrong or not, this is happening." She affirmed over her shoulder.

The Time Lord moved to the quickly shut door across the hall. "It's just that, this, it's not a good idea."

"Bit late for that." Francine added as she moved through the hallway.

"No one asked you." The Doctor flared.

"Didn't ask you either, did they?" she finished on her way out to the garden.

"You fighting with my mum again?" Martha asked as she emerged from the bathroom.

"No, why? Should i?" he sneered.

"You are angry boy, aren't you?" Martha asked with a gentle lilt in her tone.

"Stop being so complacent about all of this." The Doctor warned.

"Do I look complacent?" Martha asked as she sat into the kitchen chair.

"You look as if you are not taking all of this seriously."

"I would imagine this all looks serious enough." She fumed.

Gleep emerged to sit next to Martha in the empty chair that the Doctor seemed too afraid to take.

"A dragon?" The Doctor fumed. "You have a dragon?"

"Yes, I do." She nodded sipping on her juice.

He shook his head and folded his arms. "Well that answers one of my questions."

"Only one?"

He fired her glare of superiority before sitting in the chair across from her. Gleep offered the stranger a sidelong glance as Martha fed him fruit from the bowl on the table. "You have no idea what you have gotten yourself into. Or me for that matter."

"Wow, and here I thought there were some congratulations coming. Is that what you came here for? To look down that long nose of yours from the ivory throne of superiority. You sound like one of them."

The Doctor's face went ashen. "You know nothing about them." He pointed a long finger at the woman across from him. "You have no right to make judgments based on my people."

"No," she went on, not raising her voice, nor breaking her cadence. "But I have every right in the universe to make judgments based on you."

He rose from the chair again, and Martha was struck by how controlled the mania was in this one. She was used to the manic movements, but Leather Boy seemed to try to reign in his manic behaviors at the cost of his temper. "This is going to send flares up into the universe. Do you have any idea how many civilizations of creatures will crawl out of the woodwork to line up and take turns at…him?"

"Yup," she nodded popping the 'p'.

The Doctor shook his head, rubbed his hand over his eyes and spoke. "Which one?"

"Excuse me?" she asked.

"Which one of me did this?" he asked as if it was the most obvious question in the world.

"I don't know if I am comfortable with this conversation. And anyway, don't you have some sort of inborn information bank about all of this?"

"No, no I don't I come here because, it's like a beacon, a lighthouse in the darkness. Once I step out its like, I know. I don't know until I am out of the TARDIS." He looked as if he was beginning to be uncomfortable with the conversation himself.

"So, it's TARDIS then that brings you all here." She nodded as if finally understanding. "But obviously you don't know everything."

"All?" he asked.

"Of course all, what did you think?"

"Its unseal for all of one Time Lord to be tied to the same person." he intoned. "It almost never happens in interspecies situations.'

"You make it all sound so clinical." She smiled. "You know you ask the most questions of them all."

He came to sit next to her in the other side of Gleep. "We do love you Martha, its just this, is something that could really geek up the works."

"I know Doctor."

"Have you thought about trying to convince me to stay local for a while?"

Martha threw her head back and laughed at his apparent naiveté. "Hello? Really? This is coming from, you?" she asked.

"No, really. You do realize that that child has a mass of complicated DNA." He rubbed his eyes again, and Martha began to wonder if it was a nervous habit of this incarnation."It's a valid idea Martha. There is no way to tell what sort of life he is going to have."

"I know," Martha sighed, looking out of the window, not wanting to have this discussion with a Doctor who was not really her Doctor. "Not an easy choice for you, is it? And, not without my feeling as if I am responsible for clipping your wings."

"It's not an impossible decision. I have been—marooned before." He nodded sagely.

"Marooned? Is that what you would call it?" anger finally spiked her speech.

"It's not what I mean Martha." He gentled, and Martha could see the serene eye of the Oncoming Storm. As he held her hand in the kitchen she could see the same kindness in his face as that of her Doctor. "I could convince me."

"You are probably the only one that could." She grinned. "And anyway, I have a feeling there won't be any convincing necessary."

He nodded, not convinced of her words, but unwilling to grind her any deeper into his way of thinking. "Well, I should go." He added.

"Right, no grass growing underfoot." She accused.

"I have had plenty of grass grow under my feet thank you very much. I like grass, spongy and soft stuff that. " he squeezed her shoulder and leaned in to kiss her gently on the mouth.

"Thanks for dropping in ." she waved without getting up to see him out.

He moved to the screen door, stopped at the jamb staring at the woman with the dragon at her side. "Martha, I do love you."

"I love you too Doctor." She smiled.

"One more thing, " he popped his head back into the kitchen.

"Yeah?" she asked twisting uncomfortably to get a last look at him.

"Congratulations." He ducked out and moved quickly across the lawn and into the TARDIS.

"Is he gone?" Francine asked after a few minutes.

"You should know, you saw the damn thing spin out of the flower bed." Martha said.

Francine placed a cup of herbal tea in front of her daughter and spoke. "That one," she shook her head. "I think i slapped the worng one. "

"Yeah, that one." Martha agreed. "They both have it conming,maybe all."

"Think he'll come around again?" she asked by way of conversation.

"I hope not for a while, he takes a lot of energy to deal with. Which, is surprising since he seems to be the less twitchy of them so far."

"Twitchy or not, you seemed to have sorted him out." Francine smiled as her daughter fist bumped her from across the table.

"Still, Mum." Martha settled back into her seat. "He made a valid point about things. "

"He did." Francine nodded.

"Stalker." She accused with a grin.

"Cheeky" Francine offered in return. "You'll sort things, out, you always do."

"Yeah," Martha nodded. "Thanks for helping out with everything."

"Not a problem Martha, happy to help. Though, you think we can put a bell on that one for the next time he pops in and scares the life out of me at four thirty in the morning?"

"I'll see what I can do" Martha smiled.


	3. Eight

**Well Eight seems to have won this round. Sorry this took so long, major computer issues...oh well here it is As is the custom in my hometwon i offer everyone the advice to vote early and vote often! remember these are not in order, This was fun and i learned i knew Eight better than i thought**

"Stop looking so bored, Martha." He huffed as he jiggled at her side; he teetered from one foot to the other.

"I am not bored." She insisted.

"Then why do you look so bored?" he asked as they surveyed their surroundings. They had landed in the middle of yet another busy street.

"_Looking_ bored and actually _being_ bored are two completely different things." Martha gave her husband an officially bored glare before rocking her head back and forth with a satisfying crack.

"Says you." He huffed again, thrust his hands into his pockets and sniffed the air. "Trellis 3 is an exciting place to be. Just look at all of the magnificent architecture!"

He was right; the buildings seem to rise into the air with seemingly no end in sight. Martha looked up, then instantly regretted it as a wave of dizziness nearly made her fall.

"Yes, well, the buildings are very tall; one should be careful looking up." He patted her back and grinned.

"You can almost fall down looking up those things." Martha nodded. "But I have seen this movie before."

"A movie?" The Doctor fired back in disgust. "There is no movie like this. I mean, those buildings are so tall and structurally sound, they will never fall."

"They almost have to be," she nodded toward the alien life milling about them, "I have seen that movie too." She smiled.

"Oh you and your pop culture!"

"You get all wriggly when we go somewhere you like." Martha said.

"Wriggly," the Doctor sniffed. "You make me sound like an ill trained puppy."

The look she passed him left no question about where she sided on that argument. "You aren't planning on running off again are you?" she asked.

"I don't run off." He insisted, glancing around nervously as if trying to make his eventual departure less characteristic.

"Really?" she asked turning to meet his roving eyes. "Bakru 7, you ran off to meet the Frog princess."

"She was a Frog!" he defended.

"I had to stop the wedding!" Martha returned.

"Wedding! There was no wedding, just a small ceremony of mutual appreciation." He shook his head as they walked along the gigantic streets.

"Hkferetol, you left me at the club with all the pink blokes." She smiled.

"Left you? I was gone to the restroom! How was I to know they were planning the revolution, there in the loo at that moment?" He took her hand in his as they walked.

"Took me four days to find you then, and, I had to convince them you weren't the reincarnation of their god." She shook her head at the memory, the Doctor standing tall above a million beings, no taller than a meter.

"That," he insisted with a wave of his free hand. "Was just fun!" he smiled.

"Ryfthe 34." She fired.

"Oh all right, I get it." He shook his head and squeezed her hand. "And now you are bored. Perhaps I should run off to give you something to do." He laughed.

"Oh I am sure at some point you will." She sighed.

"Martha?" he stopped walking, still holding her hand he drew her closer. The people milled around them, giant blue creatures that reminded Martha of the movie Avatar, only with triangular heads.

"Hmm?" she asked, enjoying being the center of his focus, if only for a fleeting moment.

He held her hand close to his chest, a move she had come to understand as his disl=play of public affection. He never kissed her in public; even on the TARDIS he kept his outward affections for their bedroom. "You're not bored, are you?" he asked in a hushed, reverent voice.

Martha laughed, "Of course I am not." She assured him. "I am sure you are going to find some reason for me to have to chase behind you."

The Doctor's face seemed to explode into utter joy, and right in the middle of his outward reverie, he closed his eyes and took a long slow sniff of the air. "Mmm, smell that?" he asked, eyes still closed.

Martha sniffed with a shallow intake of breath. "Nope, smell what?" she asked.

HE sniffed again, this time longer than the last, "Snoogles!" he exploded suddenly. "I smell snoogles! And I think they are right over…." He turned around madly, nearly bumping into several giant creatures who offered him a look that Martha imagined got tossed around a lot at Americans at the Eiffel Tower. "There!" he yelled, pointed, and set into second gear.

"Wait! Doctor!" she stopped him with her still connected hand.

"What?" he asked a bit too anxiously, displaying all the wriggly puppy he had just denied being.

"I have to go to the bathroom." She announced.

"Well, go." He shooed at her with his 'I'm busy' look.

"Doctor," she said again. "You said there were no bathrooms here."

"Which is why I made a big show of telling you to go before we left the TARDIS." He nodded.

She removed her hand from his and folded her arms. "I have to go back to the TARDIS."

"Well want do you want to do a thing like that for?" he asked.

"I have to use the bathroom,"

"Oh all right!" he blew.

"You don't have to come with me, I know how you love to get lost." She snickered.

"I do not get lo—oh never mind, go. " he waved and set off toward the smell. "Be careful!" he shouted.

"Wait here for me! Don't get in the middle of any revolutions, or beheadings, or alien invasions in the next twenty minutes, yeah?"

"What you think of me!" he shouted. "I will be here," he pointed to the restaurant, "twenty minutes."

"Sure you will," she mumbled under her breath, but began the mile trek back to the TARDIS. They had left Gleep inside; he had been weird ever since they set off from Earth last week. He had been edgy, and jumpy and Martha had begun to worry if there wasn't something wrong with him.

The blue box was in an empty field, sandwiched between two buildings. Martha almost walked right past it; sure it had been further up the road. She sighed and wondered of the onset of Alzheimer's as she drew her key into the lock.

"You lost?" a voice asked from behind her, nearly making her jump.

""Uh?" she answered, turning to find a man standing behind her holding a large pastry similar to an elephant ear. He wore odd clothes and sported curly brown hair and an honest looking face.

"Well, this is a fine way to meet, huh Martha?" he grinned big.

Martha flattened herself against the door of the TARDIS and looked around suspiciously. "Meet?" she asked stupidly.

With his free hand he gently moved her aside and brought out his own key. "I think you might be lost my dear," he went on. "But, you might as well come in and have some tea."

Martha watched as the stranger opened the TARDIS door and waved her inside. The console room looked more like a library than an alien ship rife with technology."Doctor?" she asked.

"You'll get used to it Martha." He shoved the half eaten pastry under her nose. "Snoogle?"

Martha covered her mouth with her hand and waved the offensive article from her face. "I should have known."

"Not a snoogle fan, are you?" he asked

"I need to hit the head." She offered, bolting for the door that led to the twisty corridors. TARDIS considerately made one available to her and she rushed inside, not sure if her bladder would sustain the journey.

When she emerged, the Doctor had laid out a nice tea for her. "Its peppermint; should help.' He offered, leading her to one of the wing backed chairs.

"Help what?" Martha asked, sinking into the comfortable seat.

"Whatever." He waved away mysteriously.

"This is nice," Martha looked around the large room from her perch. "Different from what I have seen, but nice. "

"Mmm" The Doctor answered noncommittally as he poured tea into Queen Victoria cups. "You two having fun on Trellis 3?" he asked and Martha tried not to be bothered by the fact that he knew how she took her tea.

"Well, he is." She eyed him with a grin. "I mean, you are. I keep wondering what he is getting up to out there, I mean I have been gone a whole ten minutes. He could have started a mass panic or something."

"Or an alien invasion." The Doctor added with a grin.

"Or a slave revolt." She laughed.

"I do love trouble. " the Doctor finished.

"At least this you admits it."

"Good times, Martha. Good times."

His smile reminded her of her husband; he held such mysteries with one quirk of his mouth.

The man in the Victorian clothing smiled and sat himself across from her. "Miss home?" he asked.

"Not really. I mean sometimes, but it's fun to see other places, yeah?" she grinned.

"Of course you do." He sipped his tea. "But sometimes, its time to go home."

"I don't understand." Martha said.

The Doctor nodded. "I know, but I think its time you went home."

"Why?" she folded her arms and began to feel as if having this nice little tea was the wrong thing to do.

"I just mean," he said finishing his snoogle and tea. "That sometimes, there are far more important things in life than fun and good times. Sometimes, safety comes first. "

"I am safe." Martha insisted, rising from her chair and looking toward the door. "I should go and find my…yeah." She turned and began toward the door, surprised when he did not rise to follow her.

"Martha," he said from his chair.

Martha turned at the door, not sure if should give any attention to his odd behavior. "Yeah,"

"Have I ever lied to you, or mistreated you or led you wrong?" he asked.

"No, yes, no." she answered rapidly.

The Doctor sighed, and finally did get up. "Then for that, I am truly sorry. But, it is time to go home."

"Yeah." She nodded, rubbed the side of the ship for strength and felt oddly comforted from the ship. "I need to go." She said.

"I know." The Doctor moved quickly, placed his arms around her middle and lay his head on her shoulder. "Don't hate me for anything I am going to do." He pled.

"What?" she asked, scared at his words.

"I love you." He added.

"I know, but I have to go. " Martha opened the door quickly, in time to see her Doctor standing there, in exactly the same place, position, and stance as she had found the other him. He even held a snoogle in his hand.

"Martha," the Doctor outside said, grabbing her arm with his free hand. "Its time to go. "

"Whoa, wait, this is ridiculous, have you gone insane." She fired at her husband.

"In a hurry suddenly?" the Other Doctor offered from the doorway.

The Doctor offered his older safe an oddly dangerous look. "Yes, you know why." He nodded.

"Of course I do, how do you think you know." He fired back.

"Are you now arguing, with yourself?" Martha flared, glancing between the two incarnations. "Now I _know_ you are insane. "

"Insanity is a relative term, Martha." The Bowtie Doctor explained. "Come on, it's not safe for the both of us to be here at the same time." He pulled her away from the other TARDIIS.

"Take her home, now." The other Doctor bellowed. To which, much to her surprise, her Doctor nodded in agreement and nearly ran down the street.

"Wait." She stopped in front of their TARDIS "What is going on here? I want to know before we go in there."

"Yes, you do." The Doctor nodded. In one move, he had the door open and her shoved in ahead of him. "And I will tell you everything as soon as you sit." He ran over to the console and began to flip switches. "There." He pointed to the jump seat.

Not sure how to take his actions, Martha sat down. At once, it seemed as if the air had been removed from the space around her, replaced by warm air that seemed to be heavy and thick. She tried to stand up and found that she could not move. In fact, her hands seemed to hit an invisible force when she tried to extend them out. "What the hell?"

"See now, I know you are going to be mad at me." The Doctor spoke from the console.

"Oh, really?" she asked with a frown. "Now, why would I be mad?"

"Martha, sarcasm is no way to have an argument." He waved his index finger at the still woman.

"You're right," she nodded sweetly

"You're going to kill me when I let you out of there, aren't you?" he asked a little afraid.

"Always wanted a ginger." She smiled sweetly.

"Martha, this is for your own good."

"Why did you put me in a force field, darling?" she asked too sweetly.

"Its stasis, actually." He frowned, arms folded. Martha watched as Gleep came to her and fretted at not being able to reach her.

"Ok," she nodded with that same odd calm. "Why did you put me in stasis then?"

The Doctor began to pace, and Martha could tell he was frazzled, but trying to hold it together. "See, now the thing is Martha."

"Oh, here it is with the thing again." She huffed.

He stopped pacing and came to stand as close as he could to her. "I need to get you home, and the only way to do that is in stasis."

"Why?" she asked angrily.

"Now, don't freak out." He raised him=s hands in front of him in defence.

"You ever notice when people tell you not to freak out, its usually when you really should freak out." She blew, looking heavenward as Gleep flew around her.

"Normally that is true, but this is actually a good thing. " he grinned, looking at Gleep. "And, I have figured out what has Gleep so out of sorts."

"So, humor me and pretend I know nothing about what is going on then. Why Am I In Stasis?"

"Do you remember Amy?" he asked.

They made it back to Earth, Martha blew past him once he lifted the field. They landed in her mother's front yard. She was both happy and angry at the same time. Happy about what was to come, angry that she had forgotten how the Doctor could be manipulative and controlling when he thought he was right.

But, this time he was right.

There was little danger to her, but the baby could have been affected by the trip. Could have already been affected by the other trips.

"See, I knew you would be mad." The Doctor wrung his hands as he waited for Francine to open the door.

"I'm not mad.' She insisted angrily.

"Yes you are." He nodded. "Stasis was the only way to avoid any damage to…" he waved at her

"I'm scared." She whispered.

"Me too." He agreed. "But, everything looks normal."

"Normal? How can any of this be normal?" He didn't answer and Martha blew in exasperation "You could have told me instead of tricking me."

"I was scared, Martha. I tend to go into action mode when faced with fear."

"True." She nodded.

"We are going to be parents. " she smiled as her mother unlocked the door.

"Scary thought that." He agreed.

"Scary thought what my mum is going to do to you." She laughed.

"Mum, you shouldn't just let anyone in the door who claims they are the Doctor." Martha insisted two months later.

"I knew you would be mad at me. " the man in the Victorian jacket and frilly shirt answered. "And I have a key!" he produced in his hand.

"That is the one from under the matt." Martha huffed, snatching the key from his hand.

"Now Martha, I was just trying to keep the baby safe."

"You were interfering." She accused. "I know how this works you know, you experience something, and then I get the blow back from him."

"Martha," Francine warned. "He just came to check in on you."

"Are you insane? All of the sudden he is your best friend now?"

"Don't get so worked up Martha. Remember you are thinking for two." Her mother warned. "Stress, dear."

"Oh, and having my jailor here is not stressful?" Martha fumed, throwing herself into a kitchen chair.

"Jailor, bah!" The Doctor waved. "I wasn't the one who did it."

"You gave yourself the idea." She fired.

"Well, yes, yes I did. " he looked thoughtful for a time. "You are right, I am sorry."

The Doctor bowed low, almost comically and made a gesture with is hand in submission.

"Oh get up you silly thing!" Martha giggled. "Come on, I'll make you some breakfast.

"Nope," the Doctor shook his head and led her back to the table. "I am going to make you two breakfast." He grinned

"Will it be edible?" Francine asked skeptically.

"Only if you don't think about what's in it!" he grinned


	4. Two

**Well here is the next installment. By overall votes, two came in as the next one. I wanted to do something a little different here. Hope you all enjoy it. Keep voting, so far five is in the lead. Anyone who wants a different Doctor needs to let me know. Did i mention this idea sort of came from MyMadness. Go read her stuff, she is amazing.**

The problem was he didn't do the normal things that one year olds did.

She wanted to take him around, show him off to the others in town. Martha dreamed of a time she could place her baby in a pram and no one would notice how different he was.

But he was different.

Not physically. Since his birth he was the most beautiful boy in the world. Skin the color of autumn leaves, large green eyes, and tousled hair that she just knew would never sit right upon his head.

But he could talk.

Not in baby language, nor in small ways. The boy could carry out full conversations, and at the most inappropriate of times.

He told his aunt Tish that her new dress was pretty but then asked her why it was so lumpy.

He informed his Grandmother that she had more wrinkles on her face than the neighbors Shar Pei puppy.

Trevor Jones was as much his father's child as any child could be. He rarely sat still, required little sleep, and had a nasty habit of taking apart necessary items.

He was mildly telepathic, overly curious and wielded the dexterity of a nine year old.

And he could run, fast.

Martha wondered what her son was, but the Doctor merely shook his head and shrugged. "Its not something that has a map Martha." He offered when their son developed reading before he could even take solid food.

"It's just a little." She shrugged for want of a better word than 'creepy' but that was the only one she could think of., Not wanting to classify her only child as creepy, she shrugged again and sighed. "Creepy."

The Doctor turned to the young mother at his side, his face a mask of barely concealed anger. "He's not a monster Martha!" the doctor said.

"I never said he was!" she fired back at him. "It's just a lot to have to get used to. " she sighed in a long suffering sort of way. It was not that she did not love her son, for she feared she loved him too much. To the point of distraction. Her fear was practical and real. Would he be in danger from others, or a danger to others?

"You know, he can feel things Martha." The Doctor warned from his spot on the porch swing next to his wife. "If he senses you think he is 'creepy' then he will feel—"

"I know, I know, don't you think I know that?" she spat. "It's all I think about, and then I realize I am thinking about it and it drives me nuts! I mean, we agreed to have him; there was never a question about that once we found out about him. But, I don't think either of us realized how…different he was going to be."

"He is not a freak Martha."

She turned fire onto the man seated next to her. "If you think for one moment I would ever, ever think of our son as a freak, then you do not know me very well."

The Doctor picked at a nonexistent fluff on his pants but slid into the porch swing further. "He is, different."

Martha placed her hand in his to still his fret. "It's ok, Doctor." She answered with a shrug.

"But it is and it isn't." he acquiesced.

"What do we do?" she asked. "I mean, what were children like on Gallifrey?"

He gave her an earnest look of disbelief. "We have had this discussion, Martha. Children there were nothing like children here, or most places for that matter. We emerged mostly grown."

"Right," she nodded. "But you had mentioned before of 'Halflings."

"Rarities, really." He said. "And even they were loomed amalgams of mostly Gallifreyian traits."

Martha nodded, looked around the yard, anywhere but at the man next to her. "So we are on Terre incognito then."

"I suppose." He nodded, squeezed her hand again and moved to stand. "I should be going."

"I know." She nodded. She thought he would say more, but instead he held her hand tighter and grinned.

Martha followed him to the TARDIS in the far part of the garden, away from the odd blue roses. HE moved away from her touch and smiled sadly. "We will figure it out."

"I hope so; he will be in school in a few years."

"Do you think that is such a good idea?" he asked already half inside of his escape pod.

"Well where else would we send him?" She asked with more ire than she realized.

"Martha…" he began.

"What?" she fired back. "Pop into your TARDIS and back out slowly Doctor, I will do as I always do here, hold things down and figure it out on my own, yeah?" She turned to walk toward the house, they rarely left things on a bad note, but the issues with Trevor had been long in coming, and had finally become odd. Especially when Trevor informed the mailman, quite crossly, that his eyes were bigger than his head.

She heard the ship leaved before she made it to the back door.

"It's not good for you two to leaved things this way." Francine warned.

"You're one to talk." Martha answered her mother.

"Martha, don't be cross with me, I am not the one who just took off."

Martha sighed and nodded solemnly. "Sorry, Mum, I just thought this would all be a lot easier."

"Really?" Francine turned on her daughter with an ire equal to the younger woman's "At what point did you think your life with someone that complex would be easy?"

Francine took her daughter's silence for stupidity, Martha's helpless look did nothing to aid in the situation.4"Martha, no relationship is easy."

"This has nothing to do with us Mum,." She admitted.

Francine nodded, "yes it does."

"Mum," Martha warned.

"But it does Martha, because until you two figure out how to be parents together, its always going to be about you, and not about that wonderful little boy."

They had had this conversation enough times for Martha to know where this one was headed. "Mum," Martha started. "Its not as if there is anything you can say to me that is going to make things any easier."

"Then why hasn't he offered any help himself?"

Martha threw herself into the nearest chair. She did not answer because she really did not know. Most of the time, The Doctor only threw his hands up and claimed both ignorance at young children and absentee parenting with his own children.

"It's like he is afraid of of being a father." Francine noted with a shake of her head. "He is fine with the general workings of things, but he gets befuddled at the hard stuff."

"He is teaching him Quantum Physics." Martha defended.

"He needs to teach Trevor a little discipline." Francine warned. At her daughter's hemming, she merely raised her hands in deference and moved off to her own room.

Martha felt the sudden bereft of adult conversation, even frank conversation she was not sure if she wanted to hear. The small device on the table informed her that Trevor was indeed down for his first four hours of the night. He usually battled sleep like a prize fighter; only a long conversation between his parents lulled him to sleep.

But usually, it was just Martha; which meant the battle would often rage on until the early morning.

But, Trevor dozed in his room, snoring quietly and off in the land of nod.

The house was too quiet, she wanted to scream.. Sometimes, getting what you want was the worst punishment in the world. Martha sunk into the table and let her head rest on her arms.

She wasn't sure if she had slept, but a voice from the monitor sent her into a panic.

Martha grabbed the monitor and ran for the stairs. She stopped at the door and peered in cautiously. An older gentleman, with a funny haircut stood over the small cot. He seemed to not know what to do with his hands, and watched over Trevor with a reverence that she knew well.

"I didn't mean to wake you." He whispered from his perch. "I was singing to the little mite, seemed he stirred in his sleep and I thought it would be nice if he gave you a little more rest."

"Doctor?" she asked hesitantly as he turned and smiled at her. The Doctor then leaned over to kiss the small boy before moving toward the small woman.

"Yes, dear." He came to her and gently took her hand, "He is quite beautiful."

Martha took in the appearance of this other Doctor. He was a little bit taller than her, with floppy hair and far twitchier mannerisms than she was used to. "Thank you." She demurred,

The Doctor led her from the nursery, "he is Martha! He is. I was wondering why the old girl set me down here, and so quietly too. I was just saying to Jamie that a little break would be nice. I sometimes require a little respite. You know, nothing crazy." He gestured with his hands as he spoke.

"Right, a respite." She sighed, suddenly hit with a familiarity of her own life, summed up into a few words.

"Well, a silent landing won't wake the little one." He pointed at the stairs they had just left. "I think he is coming along nicely." He smiled.

"You won't remember any of this after you leave here, will you?" she asked by way of accusation.

The Doctor's face seemed to crumble minutely, but he covered it well. "No, well preserving timelines and all of that I suppose." A far off look glanced across his features. "I suppose what is best is best."

"Why did you come then?" Martha asked, placing a cup of tea in front of the diminutive man.

"I didn't TARDIS brought me here." He confirmed. "I just was thinking how I was missing something, needed to be somewhere. And" he brought his hands together quickly at the sight of a platte of biscuits, "Oh lovely, lovely. I must come here often if you know these are my favorites.'

"I know a lot about you, Doctor," Martha admitted. "And yet so little. "

The Doctor nodded in between munching. "true, true. But, to be fair, I am a bit of a mystery." He smiled.

"You can say that again," Martha mumbled sliding into her chair.

"To be fair, I am a bit of a mystery.' He smiled and placed his hand on hers.

"Doctor," she giggled.

"I don't keep things from you much, do I dear?" he asked honestly.

"Yes, and no. I honestly think you don't tell me things out of either old age forgetfulness, or maintaining that air of mystery you so carefully construct or…" but she let the last bit hang in the air.

"I know." He nodded sagely. "I do go on about things, but they are never really important things, are they?"

Martha shook her head. "It's just that, " she began, but stopped in the middle. A tirade was not what this incarnation would answer to. Instead, Martha refilled his teacup and sat down serenely. "Tell me about your children." She asked.

And he did. In fact, for nearly an hour into the conversation, Martha feared he would not shut up. He told her of his three sons, all fine boys, but nothing like himself. They were happy to become cogs in the wheel as he put it. Good upstanding citizens who never questioned how things were at home. He never doubted that they loved him, but love was never expressed in an open way.

"They left when they were eight then?" she asked.

"Oh yes, each one. Off to the Academy." But the Doctor seemed to stop there, as if a brick wall had been placed in front of the conversation.

"You don't have them long, do you? I mean as children. They are not with you long."

"No," the man shook his head slowly. "But, we learn to appreciate them in the time we have them."

Martha nodded, and realization began to dawn upon her small features. "Trevor won't have any of that," she spoke softly.

"Right, " the Doctor nodded. "No untempered schism for Halflings then, right."

She shuddered at his use of the term, but she reminded herself that this Doctor still clung to some of the old habits of a man raised in a cloistered society. "Right."

But the Doctor caught her mood, and rose to squat next to her chair. "Its not like that Martha, for me, or him. There is nothing that makes Trevor any less than my other children."

"That is a bit hard to believe, given that you tend to not stick around for long, especially when things get difficult. "

He looked down, but the smile on his face never changed. "I wasn't much for being around Martha. It wasn't our way."

Martha folded her arms.

"No, really." The Doctor stood quickly and began to pace the floor. "Its something that you humans probably would understand back in the old times. You know, there was a time in your own history when much of parenting was pretty much hands off."

"Yes, but we evolved into something better. You lot seemed to go completely backwards."

To her surprise, the Doctor nodded his agreement, and wrong his hands familiarly. "True, true. But, sometimes is the way with evolution."

"I wish you would help out more." she finally admitted. "I mean, I understand your need for freedom, and I would never take that from you, but I need help with him. I come from a background that is only half of his makeup, do you understand?"

"He's talking, isn't he?" the Doctor asked, stopping in his tracks.

"A blue streak." She admitted with a firm nod. "It would not be so bad if there were…guidelines to follow."

"The old ones, in our history. Babies talked."

"Really? Why have you never mentioned that before?" she fired.

"Well, you never asked _me_." He answered.

"I have asked you, I mean not out right, but—" Martha shook her head again and tried to let the frustration deflate in her voice. "Is that it then? I have to ask for things out right?"

"Well. How else would you get any information?" he asked.

Martha could see how the same personality permeated across time, the same person. Different faces, different clothes but essentially the same person. "This is ridiculous."

"For you perhaps my dear." He leaned over and softly kissed her cheek. "For me, for us. It's the same, it just makes sense."

"It makes no sense." She shook her head again.

"Martha, you have seen a lot of things in travelling, haven't you?"

"Yes," she nodded.

"You have learned about civilizations and creatures that have different ways, are different."

"Yes." She nodded again, leaning into his side.

"Then, you have a healthy respect for other points of view my dear. I know what you are going to say, no it does not make any of it right, but. Well, it is what it is Martha."

"But, at the same time Doctor, you have to accept things that are different as well."

He straightened at her words; Martha saw a momentary fire brew behind his blue eyes. "I have spent my whole life accommodating different ways. You don't need to tell me about accepting differences. I mean, I have bonded with a human of all things!" he spat.

Martha had had enough. She rose from her chair, placed the dishes into the sink wordlessly and left for her own room. He followed at her heels like a whipped dog. "Martha," he pled in a whisper.

"I think you have said enough." She answered quietly. "I see that you are never going to understand how life can evolve, even for your kind. That, sometimes, we have to evolve with it. Life is different Doctor, your old ways were fine for you, but they are not what is going to work for Trevor. " She grabbed the monitor from the nursery and set off for her own room.

"Martha," he spoke, hands wringing.

"It works both ways, a healthy respect for life, it also means that if we respect others, then we should also respect where we come from. I realize that he is here, on Earth, but that means that he has to learn a respect for Earth as well. Or, do you wish to have a wild animal for a child?"

"Of course not!"

"For him to learn respect for others, he has to learn respect at home. I can teach him only so much."

"You seem to be doing well so far." He answered quietly.

"From what you have seen of a sleeping child, sure, but it takes both of us to get him to bed, otherwise he does not sleep. He is willful and a little weird. Maybe instead of science, he should be learning conscience."

"I can do better.' He said.

I certainly hope so." Martha fired. They stared at one another for a long time, Martha trying to see if it got through to him, while the Doctor trying to reassure himself that she still loved him.

"And share a little more information, yeah?" she asked finally.

"Yes, yes of course." He nodded as she kissed his cheek.

"Good night, Doctor. I am sure you know where the door is."

She closed her bedroom door, and pulled herself into bed. But it was a long time before she fell asleep.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Voices woke her. For a moment she was unsure about where she was, but the safety of her own bed seemed to make the paranoia diminish, but only slightly.

The voices were again coming from the baby monitor.

Martha grabbed it off of the nightstand and turned it up. It was the Doctor, her Doctor. She could hear his voice clearly, and Trevor's small, but certain one.

"Can we go somewhere today?" he asked

"Well, we _could_…" the Doctor answered.

A small 'yay' came through the monitor, and Martha imagined her son animatedly clapping his small hands.

"Trevor, I said we 'could', but first you and I need to have some lessons."

"Oh," Trevor's small voice answered. "More theoretical physics?" he pouted.

"There is nothing theoretical about physics. But, that is not what we need to talk about."

Martha listened as the Doctor seemed to really talk to the small boy. She laughed at his explanations, and reasoning. And Martha believed that for the first time The Doctor had to reason with someone as unreasonable as himself. Poetic justice prevailed.

Deciding that he finally had things in hand, Martha took a long well deserved shower. But the time she emerged into the kitchen, the pair was at the table sharing a meal of fish fingers and custard. Trevor smiled and waved at his mother and the Doctor offered her a small but wary grin.

"Good Morning Mum!" he spoke quietly.

"Good morning Trev, having breakfast?" she kissed his tiny head.

"Dad made it!" he answered. The little boy stopped, turned to his father and spoke. "Thank you for making me lunch Dad, it was great."

"I think he is finally getting it Martha," The Doctor grinned.

"He isn't the only one, is he?" she asked.

"I have a lot to learn." He admitted.

"Good," Martha nodded back. "We can all learn together."

.


	5. Five part I

**This is part one, Five sort of got away from me and i think he has to have his say, so this could be a while, hope no one minds. Thanks for all of the love and support from you all, it means more to me than i can say in a few short words. you are all fantastic.**

**Really**

She was quite sure there was a body in bed next to her.

Not sure if it was Gleep, or her husband, or even maybe her mum, Martha rolled over silently as possible to assess the possibility of danger.

The danger, apparently, wore trainers.

"Well, " the body next to her spoke. "You are up. Good."

Martha leaned over and turned the lamp on next to the bed. "Its three thirty in the morning." She whined.

"Yes, and its rather cold outside." The Doctor did a mock shiver before grabbing Martha's free hand and squeezing. "I see why you humans so enjoy lying next to someone at night. Its quite a nice way to warm up after being out in the cold. "

""What is it with you and early morning visits?" she huffed, throwing the covers back and attempting to get out of bed.

But, the Doctor was faster, "You said to come and see you again sometime, last time we met, and well, here I am."

"Yes, here you are, at three in the morning, in bed, with your trainers on!" she smirked.

"Was I supposed to take them off before I got in?" he asked suggestively.

"You are supposed to show up before I get into bed. I could have mistaken you for an intruder, shot you or smacked you or something."

"You knew it was me." He spoken assuredly, pulling her back into bed, into his arms. "You wouldn't have hurt me."

"Don't be so sure about that." She answered, allowing herself to sink into his arms. She wasn't sure if it was normal to feel this way, safe in the arms of the man she loved, though not quite him. But the smell was the same, and so was the feeling of absolute safety and contentment.

"Besides," he spoke from her shoulder. "That blasted creature of yours let me in."

"You had better be referring to Gleep.' She giggled.

"Of course I was, your mother seems like a perfectly nice woman."

Martha's laughter did nothing to confirm the Doctor's summation. "Sure she is, it's just funny hearing it come from you."

They lay in silence, and Martha felt him trail small kisses along her bare shoulder. It was both exhilarating, and maddening all at the same time. "Doctor." She giggled.

"Yes?" he hissed as his breath seemed to come in far less even pants.

She turned to face him, and returned his small kisses with much larger ones. Her arms found their way around his middle and she tugged at his sweater.

His hands ran lengths over her arms. His kisses became fire across her mouth as he seemed to want to devour her from the inside out.

Coming to her senses, but just barely and only out of a continued desire to breathe, Martha raised her head from his, drew in a long lungful of air and spoke. "Wait, Doctor."

"What?" he offered impatiently.

Martha moved away from the blonde man on the bed and sat at the edge of the bed. "I don't know," she shook her head.

The Doctor moved to lay his head upon her lap. "Is this all a little too weird for you?" he asked inhaling her scent.

Martha shook her head. "Not so much weird as…" but she shrugged unable to put a word to how she felt as if she was about to cheat on her husband with her husband.

But the Doctor seemed to understand on some level. " I think I get it." He smiled uyp at her. The Doctor moved quickly, leapt up from the bed and straightened his clothing. He sat next to her and put his arm around her. "Its not cheating Martha." He smiled tenderly.

"I know that, in here." She pointed to her head. "But in here, " she placed her hands over her heart. "It feels different."

The Doctor nodded again and took a deep breath. "Right." He nodded. "its ok."

"But," Martha spoke with an insistent shake of her head. "It is not ok, is it?" she asked. "I mean, you are the same person, but somehow you are not the same person."

They fell silent for a long time, only the sound of the ancient Grandmother clock ticking loudly in the distant downstairs hall. "I have an idea." The Doctor spoke suddenly.

Martha offered him a sad but patient smile. "Of course you do."

He waggled his finger at her, but spoke. "I think we should know each other a little better." He grinned.

"But I already do know you, don't I?" she asked.

But the Doctor shook his head, stood, and grabbed for his long beige coat. "Well, sure you know me, but, you don't know _me_." He smiled.

Martha's smile finally reached her brown eyes. "I love it when you speak nonsense."

"We'll, lucky you I have a degree in nonsense." He grinned and offered her his elbow. "Martha, fancy a trip?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Hello old girl," she spoke softly as she gingerly rubbed her hand along the wall of the TARDIS.

The Doctor watched from his usual perch, smirked as the small woman seemed to commune with ihis ship. "Do you two need to be alone?" he asked with more than just a little jealousy.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, we do." She fired back. "But she seems to think you need the company more than she does."

"Humph," he answered, suddenly finding the controls far more interesting than his wife.

They stood in the console room of the TARDIS; Gleep flew in circles as if he wanted to see everything. "Is he house broken?" the Doctor asked pointing to the flying dragon.

"Well, it's a good thing we aren't in an actual house, hmm?" She answered, still connecting with the wall.

The Doctor came over to stand next to her. "I think a date is a good way for us to get to know each other." He grinned.

"So, where are we off to?" she asked for the tenth time.

"The same place we were off to the last nine times you asked." He offered breezily. "a surprise."

"Are you sure we will even get where we are going, you have a history of not flying this thing properly."

"Yes, yes we all know I failed the tests. Its all very humorous Martha." He folded his hands in front of himself. "I think if we get to know each other a little better it will be far easier for the others as well." He nodded.

"Right, the others." She answered thoughtfully.

He seemed embarrassed to ask, but did anyway. "Have you met any others of us, I mean other than the one you are…." He made an odd shake of his head in lieu of a definitive label.

Martha shook her head. "Yes," She smiled sadly, but offered no more than that.

"Right then, here I am Martha Jones, at your eternal beck and call." He swept low in mock deference.

"I wanted to thank you for saving me." She added shyly.

The Doctor thrust his hands into his coat and laughed. "Thank me?" he asked with a genial grin. "I am sure it was my fault you were there in the first place."

Martha placed her hand on his upper arm. "No," she insisted.

"Yes Martha. Part of the reason this whole thing happens, works is because of the inherent danger of being bonded with me." A sad look crossed his features and the Doctor was unable to smile it away fast enough before Martha caught it.

"No," she insisted again. "Offal was a horrid creature who was obsessed with you. I sank into her plans because of. Oh what's the use, I can't say too much, can I?" She asked.

But the Doctor brought his hands out of his coat and held her shoulders. "Martha, there is a very real chance that anything that happens to you is a direct result of being with me."

"Conceited much?" she asked, folding her arms despite his touch.

"Well, yes, but this time I am serious."

"Of course you are." She nodded.

But the Doctor moved back to the console, flipped switched and expertly landed the TARDIS with a soft bump. "We will have plenty of time to talk on our date." He grinned.

"So, where are we?" She asked, unable to keep the smile from overtaking her whole face. This was the best part, the tingles of not knowing where they were or what they would face once they opened that door.

"Thrill junkie are we?" he asked with a sparkle in his eyes.

"I'm with you, aren't I?" she asked still grinning big.

"Yes you are, and for that I am the better of it." He took her hand and led her to the door. "Ready Miss Jones?"

She smiled bravely and in the instant he offered his arm to her for their trip, she could not help but be reminded of a different Doctor, with a different face, and a much different view of her importance in the universe. His universe. Martha wanted to erase that feeling of dread and inferiority she felt creeping into her bones. This was a different man, with a different feeling about her.

But he was still the same man.

And this same man was now watching her standing in front of the ndoors of the TARDIS, he seemed to know every emotion that had gone through her heart in that instant. Somehow he just knew. She wanted to demand to go home, to have the blond fire up the ancient engines and take her back to her own time was here she could crawl back into her bed and deal with the emotions that were now coursing through her blood.

"Absolutely I am Mr. Smith!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"The Restaurant at the end of the Universe!" he gushed, arms spread wide as the smile on his face.

"We have been to the end of the universe and it looks nothing like this." She intoned.

"We have?" he asked turning to her with concern. "When was that?"

"A very long time ago, from now." She smiled. "You said Time Lords have never been this far."

"Well, why would I say a thing like that? This is a great place to eat. And, Time Lords have come here for time out of mind. Although," He turned around in circles taking in the scenery. "There aren't any here now."

"So, why is there a restaurant at the end of the universe anyway?" she shuddered with the memory of Professor Yana.

"The view Martha!" he gushed. "The view is marvelous! Oh you just wait Martha Jones, it's the most fabulous floor show that starts in…" he checked the watch on his wrist, and Martha was surprised to find it was the very same watch that her Doctor wore. "47 minutes. Come on, let us get a seat and get some grub. Mustn't hang about like a couple of tourists." He took her hand and led her to the large opulent looking dining room.

"Are you sure Gleep will be fine here?" she asked as Gleep trotted behind them, blowing small smoke rings as he walked.

"He'll be more than welcome." The Doctor smiled and began pointing out small details about the other species of customers scattered about the dining hall. There were more types of species than Martha had seen in all of her travels with the Doctor. They were finally shown to a table and left with three menus.

"See," The Doctor nodded, waving the third menu in front of Gleep. "They have seen it all here."

"So, explain this to me. How is there a restaurant at the end of the universe?" she asked as they settled into their perusing of the menus.

"Well," the Doctor launched, and Martha just knew she was in for one of the Doctor's patented Long Explanations. "You see, there is this singularity, right here. " He pointed out of the window. "the universe exists at the moment the universe ends Each night, the restaurant is brought to the point in time t=where the universe ends, and afterwards, the entire location is taken back in time to twenty four hours before it ends. It's quite humbling actually." He grinned.

"So, people come from all over the universe to, what morosely watch all of creation crumble into dust as they chug ale and power down chips?" she asked skeptically.

"Of course they do!" he asserted. "And, the chips aren't bad either." He grinned.

Just then, a good sized woman came over to the table and placed a yellow drink in front of Martha. "From the gentleman over there." She explained.

Martha thanked her and turned to see the table where the drink had come from. The man waved at her from his perch. He was attractive, at least he was c considered as such amongst his own planet. Three of his arms waved back at her, while the fourth held his own drink.

Martha raised her glass to him and waved back. As she made to take a sip of her drink, a hand reached over and snatched it out of her hand. "Oi!" she complained vocally. "What'd you do that for?"

"Don't drink that!" he exclaimed loudly.

"Jealous?" she asked still looking at the drink he held in his hand.

"This is a pan galactic gargle blaster." The Doctor responded as if she should know better.

"Looks tasty.' She added licking her lips.

"It's a very dangerous drink." He warned. "The effect of one is like having your brain smashed out by a slice of lemon wrapped round a large gold brick."

"It can't be that bad." Martha pouted, folding her arms in defiance. "It's my drink, that bloke was nice enough to buy me one."

"Well, it certainly was not to get to know you better as a person." The Doctor huffed.

Martha and the Doctor gave their orders to the waitress who appeared again. Martha noted, as she gave her instructions for a safe fruit plate for Gleep that the Waitress wore a name tag that read Mabel, and sported a rather large bee hive replete with a caged bird in the center of the purple mess.

"Don't stare Martha." The Doctor warned as he sipped his iced tea. "It's not polite."

"Fine date you are." Martha muttered. "You take away my drink and then tell me how to behave. I am not a child Doctor."

"You are younger than me." He added.

"You know," she spat. "You are starting to remind me that you really are the same person, no matter what body you turn up in."

The Doctor frowned. "That's not fair, I don't even know which one of me you are comparing me to." He sniffed.

"Does it matter?" she fired back in anger. "I mean, you are all essentially the same pompous ass aren't you?"

The Doctor sat back in his chair and assessed her mood change. "Which one of me did it?" he asked quietly.

"Did what?" she asked sourly.

"Hurt you." He answered with a sad affect. "Which one broke your heart."

She opened her mouth to speak, but caught her voice on something suddenly lodged in her throat. "I don't know what you mean." She cracked bravely.

"Yes, you do." He nodded.

Martha looked down at the table and fidgeted with the twelve pronged fork on her right. She did not want to talk about it, and made the decision not to. "It's complicated." she answered.

"Oh I am good with complicated. Mastered in complicated in fact." He grinned encouragingly.

But Martha shook her head and absently wiped at a tear that struggled its way out of her eye. "I can't go into it, you know that." She sniffed quietly.

He whipped a handkerchief from under his shirt sleeve and offered it to her. "It is obviously something if it's causing you so much distress. Was it him?" he asked with a knowing look.

"No, the one before him. He, made it all better, but the first one of you I met. There was a lot of history." She nodded.

"I can be an abrasive ass when I really get going."

"Oh is that ever the tip of the iceberg." She smiled.

"No, really." He offered again. "I hurt you, and I probably had little to know idea of it. Nor," he sniffed disgustedly. "Did I probably care."

Martha nodded, wiped another tear from her face and smiled. "He was so blind about so much. And so callous about how I felt. I walked away from him, from you. I was convinced that I had to get on with my life. I chose to go back home rather than see the wonders of the universe because of how badly I hurt."

"My apology will mean nothing." He brushed aside. "I know it's hard, but you have to find a place to have it out with me. The me that did this. The me that knows exactly what he has done."

"He won't come around." She coughed.

"Don't be so sure Martha." He smiled with a squeeze of her hand again. "We are drawn to you like a moth to a flame. You are so unavoidable in our lives that we are risking time lines and paradoxes just to spend time with you."

But, like a well timed moment in a movie, the waitress appeared again with their food. Just as they dove into their food, the show began.

"Here it is," he offered, taking her hand across the table, and Martha was surprised to find she did not immediately feel the need to move it away.


	6. Five part II

**This was inspired by a scene in the most recent episode. Not the whole thing just that little comment the Doctor said about. "Time Lord business, had to get you out of the way."**

**What the shyt?**

They sat watching the show. Martha was dazzled by the opulence of beauty in the end of the universe. "Should I be enjoying this?" she quirked as he held her hand.

"You should be enjoying everything." The Doctor nodded with a gentle squeeze of her hand.

Martha blushed under his intense scrutiny. He seemed to watch her more than the show. To her, if she did not know better, she would say the Doctor was watching her reaction to the show.

"Sort of makes you question your own mortality, doesn't it?" he asked as the brilliant colorse exploded across the large viewing window.

"And more." She acquiesced.

They watched until the last of the colors faded, and the tactile shift of the restaurant notified them of the retraction into safety. "Well that was amazing." Martha gushed.

"So are you." He added.

Martha blushed under his intense glare. She pushed her plate aside and helped Gleep climb into her lap. "I think he is tired." She smiled.

The Doctor nodded, excused himself to go and settle their bill. Martha met him by the TARDIS fifteen minutes later, staring at the machine angrily. "What's wrong?" she asked with a wry grin.

"I don't see how you managed that?" he railed at his oldest friend.

"I'm sorry?" Martha asked confused as to whom his ire was aimed.

"Not you!" he bellowed.

Martha followed his gaze and realized he was staring and talking at the TARDIS. "How could you have been so inconsiderate? Not to mention irresponsible?"

Martha looked from him to the TARDIS; she placed her hand upon the still closed door and realized there was a distinctly different tone to her usual hum. "Is she all right?" Martha asked with concern. Just then the ancient ship gave a tremendous shudder.

"Oh she is fine, she is bloody fine aren't you old girl? Or, she will be after a good night's rest."

Martha turned to the blond man with a confused glint in her eyes. "Why are you yelling at her? She is obviously not feeling well." Martha defended.

"Of course she is not feeling well, she's drunk."

"Drunk?" Martha asked with a crack. "She can't be drunk. How can she be drunk?"

"Well, negative atrion energy will do that to a TARDUS," He turned back to the ailing machine. "Oh don't give me that, you knew what you were doing." He fell silent again as if listening to her side of the conversation. "It bleeds it; that does not mean you have to ingest it."

"Wait, so how did she get negative atrion energy? Someone slip her a Mickey on the sly?" she quirked.

The Doctor pounded his fist upon the door. "Oh, nobody slipped her anything. She did this of her own free will." He turned back to the TARDIS."How old are you?" he railed.

Martha took his arm and pulled him away. "So I am to assume then that travel in her right now would be unpleasant."

"How do you feel about gravity and radiation?" he asked stupidly.

"Not too fond of one, rather grown accustomed to the other." She shrugged. "So you are saying that travel would be difficult then."

"Downright unpleasant." He nodded with another angry glare at the box.

"Ok then, for how long?"

The Doctor looked at the machine; half heartedly kicked the door and thrust his hands into his pockets. "Oh, only until she sleeps it off." He ducked.

"A night?" she asked with a nod.

"Yes." He sighed. "And she is going to have a devil of a hangover in the morning."

"Hangover too huh? Can't wait to see that." Martha smiled trying to soothe the machine with gentle strokes of her hand.

"Not a pretty sight Martha." He fumed, and then turned to the TARDIS. "And at your age too, for shame."

"Go easy on her, not her fault she got blasted with negative atrion energy. Where did she get that anyway?"

"This place bleeds it, because of the explosion and the temporal fluctuations. Most Time Lords who come here don't end up getting stranded for the night from drunken TARDIS'!" he directed again at the ship.

"She needs a night of good times, Doctor, just like we all do every now and again." Martha said.

"I am stranded on the road." He opined.

"This reminds me of my first date with Henry Soles."

The Doctor turned to her and blinked his confusion.

"Yeah," Martha nodded. "He gave me that same look too when he claimed to have run out of gas."

The Doctor threw his head back and sighed resolutely. "Martha, if I wanted to be alone with you, all I had to do was show up in the body you recognize.' He spat.

The color drained from her face, she clutched Gleep tighter and fixed the man next to her with the Francine Glare of Accountability. "You know that was pretty jacked up." She accused.

Realizing his mistake too late, he reached for her arm. "That is not what I meant." He assured her.

"I know it isn't, but it bothers me that that is the first place I went." She whispered.

He nodded and placed an arm around her shoulder. "So Martha Jones, care to spend a night at the end of the universe?"

She shuddered and he looked at her reaction. "Sorry," she admitted. "The last time we spent a night at the end of the universe I ended up getting home with a vortex manipulator." She smiled.

"Ouch." The Doctor winced. "that is like trying to cross the English Channel on a bicycle." He grinned.

"No joke." She agreed. "Rather felt like I had at the end."

They ended up taking a room at the Hotel at the End of the Universe. Martha smiled at the décor, sort of Miami Vice meets Battlestar Galactica. She kept that though to herself since she knew for a fact the Doctor hated when anyone compared reality of space travel to pop culture.

Instead, she took in the scenery of the rift outside of the large window in their room and smiled. "This is nice." She admitted

"This is the most garish thing I have ever seen." The Doctor sniffed.

"Its one night." She smiled taking his hand and guiding him to the seat facing the window. "Look how beautiful that is out there."

"Martha, please don't take this the wrong way-"

"Anytime anyone says that, it is something that I am sure is meant in the wrong way."

"-but this is not what I wanted to look at tonight." He turned his big blue eyes to her, and Martha was struck at the same sadness that hid in his orbs. The same absolute weight of civilizations rested there. Though, his conscience was still clear for his own. For now.

"I know." She nodded, coming behind him and placing her hands upon his shoulders. "Somehow, I don't know why, but you seem to have been etched on me for some reason. Almost as much as he, you."

"Is he good to you?" The Doctor whispered.

"Yeah, he is. And its not like we have been together for a long time. It's only been a few months for us. But, he tried so hard to fight it. Every step of the way. Even before Gleep. He was not sure how he could feel what he felt. "

The Doctor reached his hand to hold her smaller one. He brought it to his mouth and kissed it. "Its as if I should have been the one to find you." He wished.

"No, you know better than anyone in the universe that what happens when it happens should happen when it happens." She amended.

He nodded and lay his head back against her chest. "This is so wonderful though. I can't imagine what it is like to come home to you."

"Wish you did it more often." She absently wished.

"Ask me to and I will." He offered.

Martha nodded at this. She knew he would, knew that if she asked he would make a way to be around more. But, clipping the doctor's wings made her feel like a ten year old bully pulling the wings off of a butterfly. "No," she shook her head. "I made the choice to see my family until the end. I know I have an extended life span now, and my choices are my own. I cannot expect him, you to change your life because of my needs."

The Doctor turned and looked into her eyes again. "But, that is marriage isn't it? What right do you have to not ask for what you want out of this? What right does he have to deny you? There are a lot of things I have seen in my life, but the two of you…" he shook his head and sighed. "I don't get older, I just get younger and younger. Or at least less mature."

"True that." Martha muttered under her breath.

The Doctor ignored her words and went on. "Martha did he even explain the bod to you?"

"For the most part." she hedged, not willing to admit how little she actually knew about it all.

The Doctor shook his head again and brought his hand down his face. "I don't know how I even managed to find you, let alone…" but he shook his head again and leaned back into her. "It's a very strong, very powerful thing." he warned darkly.

Martha brought her hands to riffle through his straight hair. "You make it sound so ominous." She smiled.

"It is!" he insisted. "It's what calls me to you. It's what makes me want to come to where ever you are, even though I have no idea who you are.'

Martha frowned. "Wait, you have no idea who I am? Then what are you doing here"

The Doctor leaned into her touch and went on. "I don't know who you are day to day. Or, whatever you want to call it." He waved. "It's like, I know there is a you out there, or at least a someone I need to be with. "

"So how do you know me then, if you don't know me. "

The Doctor grinned at her tone. "It's all very timey-wimey Martha. When I get into close proximity of you, it's like this wave of knowledge. You know it's as if there is an inborn memory bank of Martha Knowledge." He grinned.

He stood up then, moved over to the bed and stretched out. "Ahhh, this is better."

Martha folded her arms and grinned. "Sort of weird to see you relaxing."

He raised his head a bit in surprise. "Really?" he asked. "I rather like to relax a bit. Good t=for the blood." He punctuated this with a firm recline into the bed.

Martha moved slowly to the bed. "You gonna budge over? Or should I go over and share Gleep's box?"

The Doctor quickly slid over and patted the side of the bed. "Come on Martha." He smiled. "Always room in my life for you."

"And your bed." She added sliding in next to him. He placed his arms around her and drew her close.

"And my bed." He agreed with a kiss.

Martha felt that old familiar comfort of lying with him. "You did tell me that the bond only goes one way." She sighed.

"Yes, because it is biological, not something that can be transferred."

"But if we have children—" she began earnestly.

"We can't Martha." He corrected.

"But if we could." She added insistently.

The Doctor drew his head away from her. "Is there something I should know?" he asked reaching for his sonic.

"No!" she quickly amended. It would do know good to create a paradox for him. "No, this is all hypothetical."

"Right." He nodded, relaxing again.

"So, if we have children, their biology would be what exactly?"

The Doctor drew silent for a time; he seemed to be calculating in his head. Martha knew that look well, but her Doctor usually talked a mile a minute through them. This man, this Doctor, this version of her husband, used far less words than the two she was accustomed to. "I suppose it would be a mish mash of DNA wouldn't it?" he asked the air.

"Really?"

The Doctor nodded and sat up, "Sure. I mean, you are human, but you are not anymore, are you?" he looked over at the small box where Gleep slept curled up, dozing off his excitement.

"No," she shook her head."I supposed I am not."

"The children would be Halflings."

"I hate that word." She cringed.

"Sorry, but it is the only one I know. Back home this sort of thing is frowned upon."

"So I have heard. Except for your old companion."

The Doctor looked down on her face again, surprised. "I suppose I have told you about her then, have I?"

Martha nodded, and her acceptance of this as fact seemed to encourage the Doctor to go on. "Well, Halflings aren't really as stable as one might think. Our biologies are compatible but mash them together and I am afraid it could create some odd frailties." He sniffed.

Martha turned to look at his face. "Frailties?"

"Oh yes, as in more Gallifreyian than human characteristics. I have yet to meet a Halfling that does not have two hearts and a four lobed brain."

Martha sat up and twitched. "But how is that a frailty?" she wondered.

The Doctor patted her head. "Why does this bother you so much?" he asked gently.

Martha smiled a pleasant enough smile to allay any chance of his being suspicious. "I am interested. You don't talk much about your people; it's nice to have a version of you that is willing to open up about your culture.

"Right," the Doctor nodded.

They lay together in silence, no sound but the gentle snoring that Gleep emitted in deep sleep. Martha wanted to know more, but was afraid to ask for fear he would become more suspicious, or worst yet, shut down altogether and send some wibbly wobbly message to all of them to keep mum on the entire subject. It was a universal constant that all creatures, given the presence of a nearby desirable object can be quickly distracted.

"Oh," he answered her touches surprisingly. "Hello." He grinned.

"I like when I surprise you." She answered murkily.

"I like to be surprised. By you." He grinned.

She leaned closer to his face and took his lips as her own. "Wait.' She stopped in mid kiss. "If you lot are infertile, then how did Leela have children?"

The Doctor pushed away from her and rose from the bed. "You are obsessed with this discussion." He noted.

"And you are obsessed with dodging the answers!"

He raised his finger to answer her, but stopped.

"You know all about my biology, and my culture. Why is it so difficult to tell me about things that I have a right to know." Martha fumed.

"A right to know?" he raged. "What the hell gives you a right to know?"

"I have every right!" she fired back angrily. "You act as if anything regarding your world is so off the table. How do you have the right? Oh, wait I forgot." She bowed low and swept her arms in supplication. "Forgive me My Lord, " she added bitterly.

"Martha," he warned.

But Gleep was already awake and Martha was back into her shoes again. Before he could think, she was out the door and gone.


	7. Five part III

**Five's last part. the end may seem misleading but really is going somewhere i swear.**

**Thank you for all of the kind words, really they are amazing.**

She managed to make it to the TARDIS on her own, she smiled as the old machine shook as the door pushed open. "There, there," she smiled stroking the white wall of the console room. "I just wanted to be home."

Is that what that place was to her now? Home? Martha n=moved over to the console and began flipping a few switches. Nothing that would dematerialize the machine, She wanted to feel it under her fingers.

The TARDIS let out a great shudder, Martha smiled at her friend's attempts to warn her. "Let him in." she smiled with another gentle caress. "I aint scared of him."

The Doctor bustled in and went directly to her. "You left me in that room."

"I did." She nodded.

"We were in the midst of a serious discussion. Grownups do not simply waltz out of a conversation and run off, off…"

"Home," Martha finished with a nod. "This is as much my home as it is yours, isn't it?"

The Doctor moved around the console, angry disposition melting into something else, no less fierce but softer in nature. "Yes," he nodded.

Martha inhaled a sharp breath and rubbed her eyes. "This is all completely mad." She shook her head.

"Of course it is Martha. What did you expect?"

"I expected a relationship of equals. Two people who walk side by side one another. I don't need you to put your coat over any mud puddles Doctor."

He nodded, came around and [placed his arm around her waist. "I know."

"Do you?" she asked "Or are you just filling in the blanks at this point?"

He pulled her a little closer. "I am trying to explain things to you. But, answering questions that are fundamentally against my upbringing are difficult for me."

"Your whole life is against your upbringing Doctor. That is a load of crap."

"Language!" he grinned. "I am trying Martha, I truly am." He whispered close.

"Then tell me something."

"What?" he asked.

"I don't know something, anything that you are uncomfortable with. Get out of your comfort zone Doctor. Tell me something that what get those stuffed shirts panties in a bunch." She pled.

He nodded. Taking her hand, he led her to the small seat in the corner off the room and sat her down next to him. "Ok, fair enough."

Martha sat dutifully at his side, where, she supposed she would be sitting for a very long time, both figuratively and literally. She let him take her hand again and looked into his eyes. The discomfort was written all over his face, he seemed to fidget like a five year old during a particularly long sermon. Martha did not want to examine the part of her that was enjoying this.

"How much do you know?" he asked quietly.

"You could fit it upon the head of a pin." She acknowledged.

"Yeah," he nodded back. "That sounds about right." He sighed and leaned back into the chair, still holding her hand.

She let his assertion hang in the small space between them, his affirmation was honest, at least he offered her that.

He sighed resolutely but spoke."We are taught early about how unique we are, amongst all the other species in the universe. We are taught that our ways are the best ways, the only ways. From the time of eight years of age, we are taken to have it drilled into our heads that Time Lords are the gods of the universes."

"But, that is not the truth, is it?" she asked quietly.

The Doctor sighed and ran his hands over his face. "It is if we believe it is." He nodded. "If every single person on Gallifrey believes in their superiority, then yes it is."

"So that makes it real then?" she sniffed

"It does for me!" the Doctor insisted. "How am I supposed to shirk off that inherently taught system of nondisclosure?"

Martha placed her hand upon his arm. "You just do Doctor."

The silence fell between them again; Martha allowed him to cling to her and did not press him for any answers. He seemed to be in a deep thought process that Martha knew was gong to lead somewhere. It always did.

Suddenly, he leapt from the seat, ran over to the console and began flipping switches. "What are you doing?" she asked rising to follow him. "She is still too drunk to drive." Martha smirked.

"She can always get home Martha, it's an easy trip for her. "

"Doctor that can't be safe, taking any trip in her right now would be dangerous. You said so yourself."

"I am taking you to see Gallifrey." He announced with a nod. "It's where I need to take her anyway, she should have a good refuel after her night of drinking. "

"No, Doctor." She shook her head. With her hands, she stilled his over the controls.

"Well, why ever not? You asked for something that I would normally not share. This ius something I would not normally share!"

She shook her head and offered him a look of sincere pleading.

"We are going." He insisted. "I want to, need to share this with you,. It's something that you have asked for, something I can give you. Besides, nothing like a good recharge to give the old girl feeling good again."

But Martha firmly kept her hands over his. "No, you can't take me there. Don't get me wrong Doctor, I dream of seeing it, ever since you described it to me. But you cannot take me to see it. Please don't ask me why, just understand that I cannot go there."

The Doctor stood motionless, his face a mask of both confusion and acceptance. He nodded and Martha worried she had shared something far too vital for his younger self to know. "I see." Was all he said.

She nodded back, moved her hands from his and took hold of him. "It's complicated." She finished.

"It always is." He sighed resignedly.

She laid her head upon him and sighed. "Thank you."

"For what?" he snorted angrily.

"For wanting to."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

He led her to the kitchen, and Martha was surprised that it was exactly the same as she had first seen it. "Kitchen never changed." She mumbled.

"Martha, do I need to warn you about timelines and paradoxes?" he asked playfully.

"No, but you could use a little makeover." She grinned.

He made them tea while she lay back in the chair. The TARDIS was still giving small tremors of defiance and Martha wondered what drove him to even think of trying to fly her home.

"I wanted to take you to see Solace and Solitude. " he offered with a cup of tea.

"I know, but like you said, she is too fragile for a trip."

"Bah" the Doctor waved. "Emergency protocol 1579. She would have been able to make it back there with her eyes closed and both hands tied behind her back. "

"Really?" she asked with a small grin.

"Martha, you forget, that is her home too." He smiled. "All of her kind are there, raised there. There are fields of coral that grow."

"She was rather old when you got her.' Martha nodded.

"Yes, she had already seen a lot of things. She was scheduled for…" but he let the word hang in the air, and Martha realized it was to save not just his feelings on the idea, but TARDIS as well.

"You stole her." She accused.

"I did." He nodded affably. "And I would do it again in a heartbeat. She is as much a part of me as you are."

"I should sleep; I had just gotten to bed when you woke me. Here I have had this whole adventure."

"Date." He corrected.

"Date, and I have not had any sleep."

He walked her through the corridors of the old ship, "do you want to go back to the hotel then?" he asked.

"Ugh," Martha squeaked as she pulled a face. "That place was so garish!" she smiled.

"Rather reminded me of Miami Vice meets Battlestar Galactica." He grinned.

She shared his mirth and they instinctively stopped in front of his room. Their room. "Can I aske you a question." Martha started.

The Doctor nodded, hands folded.

"Your wife." She began

"You are my wife Martha." He corrected.

"No, I mean. The first one, the one back home."

"She gave me up. After she changed, I was already gone. She loved me while I was a vagabond, then when she died; she sort of out grew me."

Martha nodded. "You said that happens."

"More often than not. It's not a permanent thing."

"But this thing between us." She motioned with her hand.

"Always the thing isn't it?" he smiled.

She looked at him in mock exasperation. "Why is this so prevalent between us? How do I know you won't regenerate and not want me anymore?"

"You know." He nodded.

"But, how do I know that?" she repeated.

The Doctor took her into his arms and opened the bedroom door. "You know Martha, because I am here. I am sure that it has crossed your mind that your altered DNA may have had something to do with that."

"No, it hasn't" They moved to sit upon the large bed in the center of the room. "I don't see how either. " she asserted.

"Then, perhaps maybe it's the fact that I love you, he loves you. We love you." He finished.

Martha leaned into him, allowed his kisses to burn across her. She felt that old familiar sense of falling and relished in the knowledge that this was where she wanted to be.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

He opened the door to her mother's garden. The yard was wet from the recent rain and it was early in the morning. "Am I here and the right year?" she asked devilishly.

"So little faith Martha Jones." He tsked.

She grabbed his arm and held onto it with both hands. "Don't worry; I have all the faith in the universe in you."

"You'd better." He grinned.

They stood there in the early morning fog in front of the TARDIS. The early morning chill made her shiver and Gleep made his way for the house. "I supposed I should be getting home too." She sighed. "Would you like to come in for some coffee?"

"No," he shook his head with a sniff. "Not good for me to be here too long." He twirled around in his spot and looked up. "Yes, I think I must dash" he winked and waved at her before ducking into the ship.

"So quickly?" she asked. "Will you come again?"

His head reappeared out of the door. "You will see me again Martha, and I will definitely count the seconds until I see you again."

"You count the seconds anyway," she smiled.

"Details, Martha. Details." He smiled. "I love you."

She opened her mouth to repeat his words back to him, but he was already back into thte TARDIS, already on his way off to another adventure.

Martha turned to look at his departure, followed rapidly by the reemergence of the TARDIS. She rubbed her face and wondered if all of this would eventually drive her to insanity.

He popped out, all smiles and wringing hands. "Martha!" he drew her into a hug and kept his arm around her as they walked to the house.

"You home for a bit?" she asked.

"Actually Martha, I have just had the most wondrous experience with the Gryvthians." He spun. "Marvelous race that lot. Do you know, they actually have the most beautiful eyes in all of the universe? No, no I mean it Martha. Their eyes change color with their emotions. The good news is, you can always tell when they are lying. Really helps during tense negotiations." He nodded. "Bad for poker."

"I should have gone with you.' She added as they sat in the kitchen.

He sat into his chair and folded his hands in front of him. "You had things to do here." He smiled.

Martha nodded. "Yeah, I did, didn't I?"

HE reached across the table and took her hand. "It's not cheating Martha.' He smiled.

"But why does it feel like it?"

He scooted closer to her, "Because that is what makes you so wonderfully human Martha. You feel this attraction for me, but you don't realize that it is still me. We are the same person. I needed you then, I didn't say it, but I had just lost a dear, dear, friend and I needed someone. And you were there."

"Who?" she asked. "You didn't mention it to me."

"Of course not, you didn't know him." The Doctor gave her a far off look tinged with sadness and something else. "You will find Martha, that I will often pop by when things are hard for me. Its not as if I come because I know where I am going. The others, the earlier me's. They don't know where they are off to, until."

"Right." She nodded, still confused.

He held on still. "Its complex this, I understand that you have some issues with the circumstances. I can make them all go away, you know."

"Don't you dare." She hissed. "They are all you and I cannot wait to meet them all. He saved me. You saved me from that creature. Do you remember us sitting in the TARDIS waiting for the match? We talked and you told me what it was like for you?"

"And you realize that there are more conversations between us, out in the cosmos, that either have not happened for you, or are yet to be remembered by me.' He took a long sip of his tea and seemed to become melancholy. "It's all a bit much for you, a human to understand.'

"What is so difficult?" she asked, trying to ignore the human comment. "It's all right, I understand I am an anchor for you lot." She smiled.

"And amazing at maintaining timelines. Things could have gotten very hairy had you allowed that trip.' He waggled.

"Don't I know it?" she smiled. "Actually, Doctor, I am not sure what would have happened had I gone with you then. I know it would have been bad, but I am not sure how bad it could have been.'

"Oh, unmaking reality bad. You know," he dismissed. "The point is, the reason this works so well between us, is that you have an amazing grasp of how the universe works. How to keep it working."

"All this time with you Doctor, I have learned to respect it.'

He leaned into her and kissed her lips softly. "All this time with you Martha, and I have learned. We have learned that all we need is you." He grinned.

The rain began to fall again outside, they sat listening to it fall, tea and enjoying the quiet of the grey morning.

"Why are you so interested?" he asked suddenly.

"In what?" she feigned.

"You know." He nodded, the look in his eyes was dark, brooding and menacing.

"I dunno." She shrugged stiffly. "It's not as if you are extremely open about things regarding your culture."

He continued to stare at her with all of the determination he usually saved for rabid despots. "no, I think there is a reason you are asking about children." He nodded. "And I am not sure if its something that bodes well for us."

"What the hell does that mean?" she asked angrily.

"It means," he flourished. "That if you are asking about children, then you are thinking about children. If you are thinking about children then you want children. On some level you are questioning the validity of marriage to someone who cannot provide that service for you."

"Doctor." She warned

"Quiet, I am in the middle of a rant, and there is to be no interruptions while I am ranting. Now, as I was saying you are questioning the idea of children, what would make you ask that question of my younger self and not me?" he queried.

Martha opened her mouth to answer, but the head quirk form the man next to her offered a good reason for remaining silent.

"Now, I can only assume that you are wanting to discuss children, or the nature of children that we would produce, correct?"

"It was just a question." She whispered.

"It's never just a question Martha; it is never ever just a question. You asked the younger me, now why is that?"

Martha sighed gravely. "Perhaps he seemed more open to discussing things that you seem to keep locked up?"

The Doctor looked at her with silent rage. "Really? Of course, perhaps I should now offer you a trip to where my planet once stood. Would you like that? A little side trip into the museum of time, we could even check the time lock, make sure it's nice and secure.'

"Or,' Martha returned his ire in kind. "You can simply answer the bloody question."

"Perhaps I could." He nodded thoughtfully. The Doctor rose from his seat and left toward the ancient ship.


	8. Six plus one part I

**Wow, you guys are awesome with the feedback, thanks **

She puttered around the house all day. Either out of worry of what was to come next, or fear that he had decided to stay away this time, she was not sure. The decision to not follow him for a time had come from family obligations. Her mother had needed help with, well with life in general. Not that Francine Jones was not a force to be reckoned with, but having a daughter that only popped in between debacles was a little much.

Martha had found the house herself, after he left for parts unknown swearing his undying love and affection and, presence, he made like the wind

He had expected nothing less from him.

But even in the face of their most recent discussion, where she was not sure if he was menacing her or not, she could not break time lines and tell him that her still theoretical pregnancy was as inevitable as he had claimed her to be in his life.

He left in the early morning, mumbling about answering questions. She had no idea what he had planned by way of explanation, and it both terrified and excited her.

Life with the Doctor and par for the course.

The familiar sign out side of the open kitchen window was enough to warn her thath those questions would soon be answered.

She opened the back door to watch for him, anxious to know what he had planned. The TARDIS stood on its own, no movement of exuberant personage from the blue doors. Martha wondered if he was okay, had the TARDIS returned to her to help him? She moved across the garden to where it stood, her cadence both sure and wavering. He still had no emerged, and she recognized that the box was somehow different.

"Oh Boy," she muttered, not sure if she was ready to meet another psychotic embodiment of the man she loved. She drew her key from around her neck and made to open the door.

It was thrust open quickly, fast enough to leave her soaring into the arms of the person on the other side.

"Well, are you going to come in, or just stand there with your gob hanging open waiting for Glirzen flies to alight?" he huffed.

Martha looked around the strange surroundings. They were far different than what she had seen before. Not the comfort of Five's TARDIS, nor the scattered haphazard steam punk of her Doctor's.

This one was cold and different. There were bare walls and a large window of sorts.

"Are you going to get up? I can't even close the damn doors with you laid about down there."

"No," she muttered indignantly. "I don't need any help up, thanks for asking." She rose and dusted herself off as she took a good look at the man standing next to the door.

"Humph." Was all he answered before slamming the doors and scuttling over to the console. He wore garish clothing, and Martha smirked at the remembrance of something he had once told her about a Technicolor dream coat. "Doctor." She acknowledged.

"Yes, yes." He waved away.

"So," she smirked. "Nice place you got here."

The Doctor blew harshly. "It isn't as if you have not seen it all before Martha."

"Not this one." She nodded.

He said nothing to her, and Martha could feel callous indignation roll off of his body language as he moved around the console. It was not until she heard the sound of travel that she realized they were setting off. "Where are we going?" she asked.

The Doctor stopped his movement, turned his steel blues eyes upon her and pointed. "First of all let us get one thing straight here Martha Jones." He began. "I am not your taxi service, I am not her eto take you where you want to go." He warned.

"What in the hell are you talking about?" She could feel herself getting anrgry, but something about this Doctor lacked the warmth of the others. Something about this Doctor carried the madness of Saxon, and the willful disregard of her feelings that was too painful to put to mind. "I never asked you to take me anywhere. I have never seen you before in my life."

"Oh yes you have." He bellowed. "And now, I get messages to come here, and take you somewhere to get answers for what you are looking for." He went back to his charting.

"Wait, messages to do what, to go where?"

"As if you don't know." He humphed.

"I don't" she returned. "I saw you materialize, and I came out to see if you were all right."

"Perfectly fine." He offered dismissively.

"So where are we going then?" she asked in a smaller voice, but he seemed to ignore her answer, Martha sat down on the seat in the corner, folded her arms and waited.

He did not speak again until the TARDIS came to a shuddering halt. "In the future, or past or whenever. Do keep in mind that I have things to do that do not involve carting you off places that I don't particularly have the inclination nor reason to visit. "

"Mind telling me where we are?" she asked angrily.

"Yes I mind! I mind because I cannot tell you, there is a message here, for you, which I cannot watch. You can come here and watch it then, I hate all of this clandestine business. Rather reminds me of the CIA." He muttered.

Martha waved from her seat in the corner. "Still haven't told me anything I need to know."

"Well get up and come over here and watch it then. You apes, I swear it's a wonder how I ever got tangled up permanently with the likes of—"

"Do NOT finish that statement Doctor." She warned as she made her way over to the screen on the far side of the console.

"Right." He hit a few buttons. "Watch it, and then call me when you are done. I swear its as if I am no better than a common butler. "

"You could bring me some tea while you are at it."

The Doctor huffed in indignation, but made his way out of the control room as the video came on. It was her husband, at least the one she knew well.

"Hallo Martha!" he waved from his perch under the floor of the TARDIS he had on his 'tinker' goggles and hung in his harness.

She smiled at seeing him there, so comfortable in his favorite place in the world.

"So, you have been asking some questions lately, questions I really do not have answers for, neither would I know where to look given the present situation of my civilization being reduced to ashes. By me of course." He seemed to go dark for a moment, but with a hearty sniff he went on. "In fact, they weren't really questions I could answer under the best of circumstances. Or the worst for that matter. Wait, are these the worst of circumstances? "

She loved when he got sidetracked by his own logic.

"Anyway, I was thinking, fancy that me thinking. But I was thinking that I knew someone, or at least knew of someone who could give you some of the answers you are looking for. Mind you not all of them, but this person has a unique outlook about what may be an answer."

She looked around the room to ensure she was still alone. The voice of her husband droned on.

"…and yes I was a bit of a prat about the whole thing." A spark seemed to come from one of the wires he was working on. "Oh all right, I was a prat about the whole thing. " he yelled at the wire, which gave him another good shock. "Cheeky thing." He muttered.

Martha laughed at the Doctor's punishment and rubbed the console as she watched, offering a silent platitude for the ship who seemed to love her as much as the Doctor.

"So, I enlisted the help of an old friend. Actually, an old me, don't think I was much of a friend to myself then, or anyone else for that matter." Martha watched as he climbed out of the harness and removed his goggles. "Martha, I wanted you to see him, to get whatever answers you needed. Its ok, not like a trip to Gallifrey or anything, but I couldn't take you myself. The timeline is all skewy on this one."

"Another technical term Doctor?" she smiled to herself.

"Yes, that is a technical term, don't question me." He smiled and came in close to the camera. Smiling big he went on. "Perfectly safe for you to go one this one. It's all right, no holes or anything. Just, keep an open mind.' He smiled. "And a teaspoon."

"I think you are going to find what you are looking for in this little trip. I hope this is a good way to apologize for my brusque behavior of." He looked down at his watch. "Three hours ago."

She folded her arms and considered if it was in fact an apology that she was getting from him.

"Well, " he began again quickly, pacing and wringing his hands. "Now I have had our friend set you down in front of the house. Oh, about our friend, try not to upset him, he is mildly…unstable. In fact, his regeneration did not go over well. By well I mean it had dire consequences for him. By him I mean his companion at the time. Lovely girl Peri, don't think she ever trusted me after that little…" The Doctor waved his hand in that manner he had to etch-a-sketch a conversation. "Anyway, have a good trip, enjoy yourself; I know how you felt about that face."

"What face?" she asked, but the Doctor on the screen could not hear her, he went on as if she had no questions whatsoever.

"Temporal flux and calculations. Endless calculations. But back in that time there were safeguards in place for this sort of thing." He nodded. "I will be waiting when you get back Martha," then the screen went blank, just as the other Doctor bustled in with a cup of tea in his hand.

"Is that for me?" she asked.

"Why would it be?" he asked with a sneer. "No, you have to go out there, and I get to sit in here and wait for you."

"Out there? Alone."

The Doctor made himself comfortable on the seat in the corner and began to drink his tea. "Do hurry up, I have things to do."

Martha shrugged and made her way to the doors.

"Oh and Martha, I am supposed to tell you something,"

"What?" she asked stopping at the door.

He seemed flummoxed as if trying to remember something. Suddenly he began rifling through the pockets of his loud coat. "Ah yes, here it is." He bellowed with a flourish of the paper in front of him.

"Yeah?" she asked patiently.

"Don't step on any butterflies."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The doors opened onto a modest little street in what looked like posh London. She marveled at the trappings of society and wondered why she was here.

Above her, a zeppelin buzzed high in the sky.

"How in the hell?" she asked realizing where she was suddenly.

Martha walked toward the front door and found it already open. Not sure how to proceed, she entered the house and found herself in a comfortable sitting room.

"Is that you?" she heard a familiar voice ask from a distance. "You are home early. What? Did you get that idiot boss of yours to finally let you leave on time."

The voice was coming closer, and Martha felt a moment of panic before the disembodied voice became a fully formed manifestation.

"Hello." She smiled.

The man in the doorway considered her for a moment. "Martha Jones.' He grinned big.

"Doctor?" she asked. "Or, I don't know what to call you…"

HE came to her and swept her into a hug, "Oh Martha Jones you are a sight for sore eyes and ears and noses and-" he stopped suddenly, pushed her away and looked at her closely. "What are you doing here? How sis you get here?" his tone was suddenly deathly serious and reminded Martha of the conversation with the Doctor she had had not four hours before.

"I hitched a ride." She smiled.

He considered her then, still shooting daggers with his eyes. "A friend? Who?" he asked darkly.

"Doctor," she answered trying to guide the conversation.

"Don't call me that. I have a name." he insisted.

"Of course you do." She smiled back at him, her hand soothing his arm.

"Are you sure this was safe?" he asked.

"I'm not Rose." She countered.

He nodded and moved toward the couch, offering her a sit down. "So, what brings you to my little neck of the woods, then?"

"Well, " she hemmed. "Its sort t of a long story."

"I've got time."

They shared a laugh at the joke, albeit a nervous one. , but it did help to ease some of the tension the two sort of friends were feeling at the reunion. "I had questions. Questions that our old friend was hesitant to answer. He sent me here. Safely." She reassured him.

"Different timeline then" he nodded. "It's what I would have done. Well, I did sort of. Well, not quite." He dawned thoughtful suddenly, allowing the silence to fall in-between them. "Which one sent you?" he asked without looking at her.

She thought for a moment, tried to be sure that this would not interfere with any time line. Martha smiled to herself about how much of her life had become about time lines and paradoxes. "How long has it been for you?" she asked him.

"It's been fifteen years for me." He nodded.

"Your eleventh self sent me." She answered.

"Didn't take him long did it?" he asked with the familiar scratch of his neck. "But, you have to understand that I am a different person. I am not him. So, if you don't mind, can you refer to us differently?" he offered her a weak smile.

"Yeah, but I don't know what to call you?"

The man next to her smiled and squeezed her hand. "I have been Trevor Tyler for fifteen years." He smiled. "But my friends call me Trev."

Martha covered her shock of his name well. "That is a nice name Trev.' She smiled again.

They sat and considered each other for a time, each one sizing up the battle scars of the other. "Martha." He finally spoke. "There were a lot of things that he did to you, I am so sorry."

"Please," she held up a hand. "You are not the person that needs to offer any apologies. The way I see it, they were done to both of us."

Trev nodded and turned to face her. "I know, I just wonder how you managed to forgive him? I mean, I came to mine after a long time in therapy, and forging my own life here. " he rose and moved over to the shelf by the hallway. "I have a family here, one that I cherish more than anything."

"I am so glad to hear that Trevor." She smiled.

"It's not been easy for you though, has it? All that forgiveness and human compassion having to be asserted every time he looks at you." He said.

"Helps that he has a different face now." She added.

"Does he?" Trevor moved over to her as she removed a picture from her pocket.

"This is us, on Wraivlyk 7" she smiled.

He took the picture from her and smiled at the man in a bowtie and braces. "What a prat." He grinned. "Wait, he took you to Wraivlyk 7? Whatever for?"

"The market there is fabulous." She nodded. "But that turned into a seven month vacation."

Trevor eyes her with a look of horror. "That place is a hole, especially for humans. Well, its more of a slaughterhouse for humans. They actually eat humans as a delicacy on some parts of that planet. " What the hell made you stay there for seven months?"

"An unplanned pregnancy." She sighed in memory.

"Yours?" he asked suddenly.

Martha smiled shook her head and told him about the time on Wraivlyk 7, about Rory and Amy and their baby. In between the words of memory, she explained about Gleep and how she and the Doctor came together.

"Not an easy road to be bonded with him Martha."

Martha sat back in her seat. "It has not been easy. From what the Doctor has told me, some of what happened was etched in time."

"Absolutely." He nodded turning back to her. "He knew when he found you in that hospital. He had lost Rose, kicked about for a few decades and then, there you were."

"It always comes back to her for him, doesn't it?" she asked with no ire. She had made an observation and hoped that he saw that was all it was.

'Yes, " he agreed.

"Did you two stay together?" she asked.

Trevor turned and placed his hands in his pockets. "Why are you here Martha? I mean what questions do you have that I could possibly answer?"


	9. Six plus one part II

**I am really enjoying all of your reviews. thanks all **

Martha sat back in her seat, as if reclining into her posture would somehow give her strength.

She looked into the eyes of the man standing over her. He seemed intense in his scrutiny of her next few words. Martha was not sure what to say. "Before I came here," she began carefully. "I was told not to step on any butterflies."

He laughed. "How can you possibly step on any butterflies here? It's not even your universe."

Martha sighed but chose her words carefully. "I am aware of things that he does not know."

HE considered her for a moment. "What things?" he asked, seating himself in the seat across from her.

"I got a visit from your—" she stopped herself before she offended her new old friend. "His twelfth self paid me a little visit."

"On purpose?" Trev asked with a smirk.

"Of course not." She smiled back at him. "When has he ever been able to pilot that thing right?"

The smile that broke across Trev's face was both genuine and lacking in any reservation. "Well, be that as it may, he is the only one that can fly that thing now." He shrugged.

Martha looked down then, afraid of what her thoughts would belie to the man that sat across from her. "Is it?" she asked small.

Trev moved forward, head cocked to one side, and spoke. "Martha," he asked slowly. "What's going on?"

She drew a breath and let her eyes meet his. "This is all terribly mad." She shook her head "But, when I got that visit from him, from the future, there were things that I had been told that turned out to not be so much truth as misdirection."

"You have been with him far too long, now you are speaking in that weird half language." Trev ran his hands through his still brown hair and stood up. "I don't want to be rude, but I really, really wish you would get to whatever point there is here,"

She nodded and sighed. "It's difficult Trev, it's like all mixed up and backwards. I thought, I was told that children were not a possibility."

"And now they are? Wait are you pregnant right now? You should not be travelling in that thing. You shouldn't be off for hops in that blasted thing. You shouldn't be travelling in that thing at all. Dragon or no dragon, Martha it's not safe."

"I'm not" she interrupted his tirade with a gentle smile. "But it's something I know is coming. I know because I met my son already."

Trev nodded, rubbed his face with his hands and sighed. "It's that life, you know? I mean it's a constant up and down left is right sort of existence. You are getting to see it as he has for years. Centuries really." He paused before going on. "So, you learned something you should not know, is that what this is about? Righting yourself so that you can keep the secret and not feel bad about it?"

"This is about knowing something about what to expect. The Doctor sent me here because he seemed to think you had a unique perspective on questions I had been asking.'

"Because of the visit from the future." He nodded.

"Yeah, because of the visit from the future. I know we are to have children, he doesn't He thinks that I am going to leave him because of some biological drive." She shuddered.

"Unique perspective? Oh I get it now." Trev nodded. "Because of Donna. Martha, please don't take this the wrong way, but he knew those answers himself. He knew, he knows. He sent you here to have me tell you, so there is no chance of him spilling ancient dead secrets."

Martha stared at him dumbly, sure this was going to go bad all of the sudden. "As usual."

"Don't get me wrong,' he went on. " But the culture he is from does not share information very well. "

"And you?" she asked.

"Oh." He grinned in that manic way she had fallen for so long ago. "I'll tell you everything you want to know."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The photo album was tucked under his arm. He offered her one of those crazy looks that she knew so well. They moved into the kitchen and sat at the table. The kitchen was big, and airy and Martha was bowled over at the absolute domestication of it all. In fact, it was exactly the kind of kitchen she had always wanted. "This is nice." She smiled.

"You should like it." He offered mysteriously, but around the edges of that was a sadness that made her not want to hear his story. Not at all.

"I assume it goes without telling." He began, opening the photo album. "That I found you, well the you over here."

"I figured as much." She shrugged. "So did the Doctor."

Trev nodded and showed her his life. "This," he pointed to a picture of himself and a remarkable copy of herself. "Was our first date."

"Aww," she smiled, crinkling her eyes to scan for any differences in the image on paper and herself.

Trev nodded and launched into his tale. " We met, well when I say met I sort of tracked her down." His smile finally found his chocolate eyes. "When I say I tracked her down, I mean, well I sort of stalked her."

"You did not." Martha giggled.

"She was not having it Martha. It took me two years to finally convince her I was not some crazed maniac playboy out on a lark to sew my strange."

"Two years?" Martha asked, arms folded a look of disbelief aimed at Trevor.

"Oh, yes. She was not going to get tangled up with the likes of the Tylers, not for any reason."

"Oh, I get it now." Martha nodded. "Sowed a few oats did you?"

Trevor sat back and focused on Martha. "I am entitled, at least at the time I felt I was. Rose didn't love me that way, and though she was fine with being here, in this universe, she more saw me as an older brother than a replacement for him. And me, I shagged anything blonde."

"Rose loves me in her own way. She never expected me to be anything more than a friend."

"Did you want more?" Martha asked honestly.

Trevor nodded. "For a time that was all I could think of. For a time, I assumed that that was how it was to be. I went out and found anyone and everyone that reminded me of her, to take that pain away. I…" he looked away in shame. "Did things."

Martha reached across the table to take his hand in his. "It's all right Trevor." She smiled at him.

"I have made my piece with things." He offered with a sad smile. "What I have not made peace with is having to constantly make peace with things."

Martha nodded but waited silently to go on.

"Our wedding." He offered to her. They were dressed in very understated formal attire. "We wanted something simple yet elegant. Something what was not a huge media circus."

"You look so handsome." She smiled. But something, in the picture and in the man across from her, something odd. "You have not aged a bit."

Trevor flinched at her words. "I know." He ground. He continued to flip through the pictures, and Martha saw a life transgress in images. Trips to exotic places, family gatherings. There were pictures of Trevor smiling with the Tylers, and Martha always there, always at his side. Donna Noble seemd to be another fixture in the pictures.

"You built a life here." She smiled. "And with Donna."

"She is remarkable." He agreed. "And the Tylers have been my family. They are my family. They have been there for all my goods, and all my bads. Pete Tyler left me one fourth of his company when he passed away last year. I am still trying to figure out what to do with it."

"So you worked for the Tylers then?" Martha asked.

"Oh, no. I write books." He smiled. "Lots and lots of books. My stories of all those memories that really aren't mine have made a lot of people happy. Though, they have not done much for me."

"I am sorry to hear that." She quietly offered.

He touched his hand to his head. "no, Martha. Don't be sorry. Its not something to be sorry for, especially not you. No, my life I feel has gone just as it should. I have placed my own mark in the world, even without the Tylers, I would have written books. What else was there for me to do with all of those memories I did not want, nor have a use for." He rose and poured them both another cup of tea. "No, this is what was meant to be. In so as much as I wanted a life with Rose, it was not meant to be. That is what the Doctor could not fathom. All those brains and he still thought he was bigger than fate.'

"He does not believe in fate, " Martha answered.

"Oh, right " he nodded. "Inevitability." He tittered.

"Whatever he needs to call it, I suppose." She shrugged. "The fact is, I know about my time lines, I know that from that moment it was indelible.'

"It was." He nodded."But there was Rose."

"Of course there was." Martha pushed. "There is always Rose with him."

"No," Trevor shook his head insistent. "It was Rose because it was Rose. She saved him. In an odd sort of way." Trevor seated himself again and went on. "Rose was the first human he met after the Time War. She saw him as a father figure, but he saw her as all that humanity had to offer to save him."

"I understand all of that."

"No," Trevor shook his head again. "No, you don't. Rose did save him. Aside from all of her faults, and his childish love of her, she saved him." He shook his head. "You have no reason to be jealous of her. She has moved on in her life, has a nice bloke, a nice family."

"I am not jealous of her Trev; I am just trying to understand. Anyway, that is not why I came here. Tell me about Martha." She soothed

"Martha worked as a pediatric oncologist."

"Yikes, impressive." Martha gushed.

"It was hard, but she loved it. She loved the kids, working with them, seeing them get better. But the deaths, they really got to her." He sighed.

"That is a job that takes a lot from you. It's something that would explain why she held you off for so long."

"Yeah, Martha was like that. She always put people in front of her. Everyone. I wanted so much to be the first one, and in my spoiled immature way, I once gave her an ultimatum about it."

"Trevor." Martha pointed, but Trevor held up his hands in defense.

"No need Martha, I am just glad I still have a pair of balls." He grinned. "But, I learned from her. How to love, how to love without demanding it my way. Martha had this way of making her point without even raising her voice. She taught me so much. All that humility and I still…." He faded.

"But you were there for her. Did you get on with her friends?."

"She and Donna were best mates before I even met her. I tried to get Donna to speak me up to her. You know."

She did.

"We used to go out, Donna and I. I would cry in my beer and she would smack me upside the head and ask what my problem was. Donna would say 'You're a rich skinny streak of nothing. Go bark at some other poor girl who'll slobber all over you.'"

"Now that sounds like Donna." Martha laughed. "But I am surprised she wouldn't help you."

Trevor offered another weak smile. "Oh, she did. She said she would not get involved, but you know her. She kept making sure I was exactly where Martha would be when she went out. "

"Good woman." Martha said.

"The best." He agreed, moving back to the photo album. A picture of Trev and Martha at a playground, he was pushing her on a witch's hat, and Martha had her mouth open screaming in laughter. It struck her that no matter how this story ended, there would forever be this image of her doppelganger, forever trapped in the happiest of moments.

"You two look so happy."

"Yes," he smiled thinly. "We were."

The next pictures showed an increasingly pregnant Martha, "Aww," Martha grinned at the pictured of Trevor and Martha at her baby shower.

"Yeah," he nodded. "We had wanted a baby so bad. I thought it was my fault that it took us a long time to conceive, but it was just nature, taking its course. We went to New York for a vacation one summer and…" he waved at the photos.

"Wow."

Trev stopped the photos. "Martha." He began. "When I saw you today, it was like seeing a ghost." He choked.

"I figured, you have been referring to her in the past tense the whole time." She placed her hand on his arm for strength. "What happened?"

Trevor fell silent, the gloom over his head seemed to enlarge and engulf the entire room. "Preeclampsia." He stuttered.

Martha nodded, allowed the man to gather himself. "We never figured it out. Big brains us. But, part of it was some of the symptoms of it were akin to symptoms of what you came here to find out about." Suddenly, he closed the photo album and sighed.

"It happens Trevor."

Trevor shoved the tea cup to one side and leaned across the table. "I understand your need to sooth me Martha, I do. I was married to you for five years; I know what you are like. Loved you. I loved you every day, I still do." Somewhere in his diatribe his pronoun use had changed, Martha felt odd in the room with so much raw emotion. "But don't offer me sad stagnated platitudes about how this is going to get better, and how it's what is meant to be. Because it's not, and it won't."

"I wake up every morning still reaching for you …" he stopped himself, sniffed, and rose from the chair. "I am so sorry."

"It's ok, it's good. I understand how this must be for you." She said.

"You want to know what to expect with your children? There are no hard and fast rules Martha. I don't know any more than you. My birth was weird, a one of a kind fluke. Something that should have not been. But, Martha. I have to tell you there are things. I don't age. I have not aged a single moment since I have been here. I don't know how that is going to affect me. I don't think, no I know I cannot regenerate, but I have not aged. Torchwood thinks it will catch up to me sooner rather than later, that my birth was fully grown, so the aging process has not, solidified in my cells yet.. I look like him, but I am nothing like him. I have a lot of memories, a lot of medical issues from him." He sighed.

"Did the baby?" she asked.

"No," he grinned. "Michael is brilliant." Pride oozed from his words. He opened the photo album again to show her a picture of a smiling 6 year old boy. He had the look of mischief in his eyes, and Martha guessed an abundance of curiosity and energy. "He has none of the markers of frailties that I had feared. He is smarter than most children, but other than that. He is completely human."

"He is beautiful." She smiled.

"Yes he is." He smiled. "And right now he is off terrorizing Donna and her children." He grinned. "He is everything to me; he is all that I have left of her."

Just then, the front door opened and a woman's voice echoed through the house. "Hey, Trev, you home?"


	10. Six plus one part III

**Thank you for all the lovely reviews, they are truly wonderful. Only two more Doctors to go before the big one, hang in there guys  
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"I hate when she does that." He muttered, but his demeanor changed as the voice came in closer. "Oh, oh!" he looked at Martha with absolute fear. "She is going to freak."

Martha stayed put as Trev went to meet the person in the hallway. They spoke in whispered tones before both came back into the kitchen. "Oh my God!"

It was actually a girl, a teenager with blond hair and looked much like what Martha remembered of a time with the Hoix.

"Jenny," Trev soothed "This is a cousin of Martha's, she came to meet Michael."

"You look just like her." The teenager marveled. "You look exactly like her." She said again.

"Jenny." Trev eased. "It is not uncommon for cousins to bear similarities."

"But Trev," she swung to him. "This is too weird. And I have met all of Martha's family; I think I would remember a cousin that looked so much like Martha."

"It's a long and bitter story," Martha added, trying to go along with whatever Trev had going.

"You are too impolite to even introduce yourself before you start hurling accusations?" he returned to the young woman.

"Trev,"

"Don't call me that Jenny," he raised his head heavenward and blew a slow curse. "We have had this discussion, I know we have. "

The teen shrugged, but continued to look at Martha with an oddly sad and resentful glare. "Why do you look so much like her?"

Martha, not sure what to say. Turned her gaze to Trev, who sighed and shook his head. "I was getting to this." He offered sullenly. "I really was."

Martha looked between the two and began to notice certain similarities in features. "Oh!' she grinned. "I get it."

Trev placed his arm around the younger woman and pulled her closer. "Yes. This is Jennifer Tyler," he smiled big. "Or, Doll, to most of us."

"It's Jenny, Trev." She exasperated.

"It's Dad, Jenny." He equaled.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"You just look so much like her." Jenny shook her head again.

"I am sure she heard you the first twelve times Jenny." Trev answered.

Martha watched the easy manner between the two. While she had originally guessed at the girl's age to be sixteen, in the light of the living room, Martha could see the youthfulness of the girl. She was dressed to be older than what she was. Jenny looked so much like the one she had met briefly, that Martha herself needed to bite her tongue to keep from remarking about it. "You look alike." She offered to the pair.

"Oh get her," Jenny said to her father, thumb hooked in the direction of the older woman. "You not gonna tell her to give it up?" she smirked.

Trev rubbed his face again with his hand and came out grinning. "Jenny. D'you mind if I talk to Martha for a while? I have some pics and things to go through with her. She never really knew her cousin, but suddenly everyone tells her they look alike and it's a bit…"

Jenny waved away the rest of her father's words and launched herself up the stairs."Ok, but you're on feeding time tonight. I am too pooped from work to do anything."

Martha shook her head as a small chuckle came from her lips. "That is a handful." She smiled.

Trev laughed "You have no idea. She is like a Fervillian Tornado."

"Rose?" she asked.

Trev nodded and moved to sit next to her on the couch. "We uh, weren't really together. I mean, not like that. But…" he made a similar wave to that of Jenny's.

"I get it." She nodded. "Were she and Martha close?"

"She used to call her the Wicked Step-Monster."

"Ouch."

"She loved her to bits Martha. Aside from all the childish preteen bullshit and jealousy crap. The two of them were as close as they could be. Martha was there for her in times when Rose…couldn't" She was as much a mother to her as her own mother was. She feels that empty space as fiercely as I do. She loved Martha as much as I love Donna. "

Martha spoke to quell any weirdness "I am glad you have had so many people in your life to help you get through it. Especially Donna, even though she was not your Donna, I hope she filled the space that you needed."

"No, she is not my real Donna, but she is what I have." Trev smiled. And I am so grateful for her."

"Jenny spent a lot of time here growing up, she lives mostly here, has for a few years. That is where she got it in her head that she didn't have to call me Dad or anything. She said if she had to call Martha by her name, then I deserve the same treatment."

Martha laughed but said nothing.

"It's hard to say if the children would have had any of these difficulties with or without any odd DNA Martha. You are a Doctor yourself; you know how any numbers of maladies can manifest in a completely healthy family"

"Yes, but are the chances any higher with the combined DNA?" she asked.

But Trev only shrugged and shook his head "She does not know any of it. She believes its all fairy tale magic that came out of my head.' He grinned.

"She needs that, that normalcy; I can understand your protecting her from the weird."

"But," Trev sighed. "I think on some level she knows that something isn't right. She knows that I was adopted, knows I have no family other than the Tylers'"

"Where is her mother?" Martha asked.

"Rose has settled down quite a bit since before. She was a little wild for a time, then, so was i. Jackie raised Jenny mostly, at first. She was a bit of a surprise as you can imagine. Rose and I sort of got her after we pulled our collective heads out of our asses."

"I can see that." Martha smiled. "She seems a bit mature for her age."

"Way mature. She was always developmentally on the high end. Michael too. It's hard to see it happening." He sighed. "There are any number of things that can go wrong for any child born from that combination of DNA. Over development, congenital heart defects. Asthma, Respiratory failure. Failure to thrive. Metabolic inconsistencies."

"Have either of your children had those things?"

"Oh, yes!" he nodded. "Me too. I have had to have a ready bank of my own blood at all times. There is no blood type that matches mine. Learned that the hard way."

"How?" she asked.

"Got shot. Twice in the chest." He stood and moved to sit next to her. "Michael had to have a tumor removed from his chest when he was two days old. His second heart never really formed, and so it had to be removed. It was necrotizing in his body. I had to make all of these life and death decisions for Michael, and plan for my wife's funeral."

The silence crept upon them again, Martha watched both rage and sadness march across his face.

He sighed, rubbed his hands on his jeans and folded his arms. "It's fraught with dangers Martha. Combining those two DNA parts."

"What about Leela?"

Trev looked up and offered her a strange look. "Told you about her did he? Leela's child was the first naturally born child on Gallifrey in a thousand of years."

"But, were they normal?"

"Define normal." He tittered mirthlessly. "It was were never really accepted, it was only because of Andred's standing that they even tolerated the whole thing." He sniffed. "Still, perfectly healthy, but that was because of Gallifreyian medical knowledge more than anything."

"So, it is possible that this could work." She asked wistfully.

"Anything's possible Martha. But, you should be prepared for anything. Given your own circumstances, it's possible that it would work out fine, but…" he trailed off.

"But what, Trev? I mean I am here, trying to find out if there is anything I should worry about with my future. Is there something I need to know about what's to come, these are my children Trev, I have a right to know."

Trev leaned into her, placed his arms around her and whispered reverently but firmly into her ear. "No one really knows Martha. What are we promised? What are we offered for sure in this life? The idea is that we are born, as soon as that happens everything else is a crapshoot."

"Don't patronize the fretting mother." She hissed.

"I am not; I am telling you what I know. What I know is that when you do have children, they are a precious, precious gift for as long as you have them. Anyone you love is. Whether it is for a day, or a year, or five. Life is a crapshoot. You have been both blessed and cursed; did you even think you would ever have children?"

Martha shook her head, afraid that her voice would fail with the emotions she felt.

"Right." He went on, holding her tighter. "It's strange this, sometimes things don't go as planned, sometimes you fall in love with someone you never should have. Sometimes you find life takes you into realms and dimensions you never would have known before."

"You never know something is worth losing until it's gone. I loved her so madly, but when she left, I had to deal with the idea that I may have to live my life. Scary that."

They held each other, there, on the couch in the odd universe, each crying, sharing a pain that was both fresh and raw, and old and ruminating. Martha was not sure for how long they stayed like that, but it was Jenny's romp down the stairs that pulled them apart.

"Wow, I feel like I interrupted a moment." Jenny smirked. "You all right Dad?"

"Oh its Dad now is it? " he sniffed, wiping his eyes with the backs of his hands. "You are a real work aren't you, Doll?"

Jenny scrunched her face up and opened her mouth to protest, but noticed the swell of emotion in the room she had left not an hour before. "I'm hungry. Can we order a pizza?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

He asked her to stay for dinner. In the kitchen as Trev rifled through the drawer looking for take away menus.

"I can't, he is waiting for me." She smiled. "I am a little fearful that one would leave without me.

"Which one brought you here?" he hummed absently.

"Um, " she thought of a kind way to describe him. "The one with the funny coat."

Trev giggled while he perused a menu. "Martha, after a few visits, you will realize that they all had funny coats." He grinned. "Oo, except the ninth one. He was a bit of a basher."

"Really?" she grinned. "Always had a thing for a bad boy."

"Curly hair? Blond?" he asked.

"Yeah, that's him. A bit of a wanker too if you ask me."

"Well, you certainly have managed to find the worst." He answered seriously. "That one that brought you here, he is a bit unstable."

"So I've heard.' She said.

"Well, just don't provoke him. He is an impatient fop. I understand you cannot stay. It's ok." He smiled and hugged her. Martha made her way to the front door.

"I'll walk her out Trev." Jenny offered, appearing suddenly.

"Jenny." He warned at the sudden appearance of his daughter.

"It's all right. Walk me to the corner, yeah?"

Trev nodded, and enfolded Martha into a fierce hug. "You know how to get here now, come back again?" he both asked and assumed.

"You bet I will " she smiled.

"Live a good life; don't worry about having all of the answers. That is cheating isn't it?" he smiled back

"Thanks for telling me what you know."

"Anytime Martha Jones. Anytime."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"He thinks I am so stupid." Jenny blasted as they walked down the d=stone stairs.

"He thinks you are brilliant!" She smiled genially. "he's your Dad, he has been around a lot more than you."

"Like to your universe?" she asked. "I know who you are Martha. I knew the moment I saw you."

Martha blushed under the girl's intense scrutiny. Something about the eyes made her demure the truth with a gentle nod. "It's complicated Jenny."

Jenny stopped when they reached the corner. "Why can't you stay?" she begged.

"Jenny." Martha sighed.

"He hasn't been right since she died. Since you died. "I used to hate her so much. I hated her for not being my mum. This was the first time in a long time where I have felt like he was ok. Eh wasn't pouring some dreadful hideousness into a novel, or focusing on us. He would be ok if you stayed. I just know it. He needs you."

"How old are you Jenny?" Martha asked finally.

"I am fourteen. I know, I look much older. Must be all of those alien genes. " She searched Martha's face for a response, then shrugged. "I am not as dim as he seems to think."

Martha shook her head. "He does not think you are dim. He is trying to protect you and your brother. That is his right as a parent."

"What about our rights?" Jenny screamed. "Do you know what it has been like for the two of us? Michael is so far advanced for a six year old that he has to be home schooled. I was smarter in that I knew how to hide it. But I am getting tired of hiding from it Martha."

Martha saw the blue box only a few meters away. "Jenny I have to go." She gentled.

"I know." She pointed at the blue box. "Is that it? Is that the TARDIS?"

"You should not be able to see that." Martha smirked.

"And you should listen more carefully. You came here to find out about what we are like. Come back sometime soon, and meet Michael. You'll like him, that kid was doing quadratic equations in his pram"

The door to the TARDIS opened and the man with the curly hair stuck his head out. "Well, look who it is. It's about time; do you realize I have sat here for three whole hours? What do you think I am? I have a good mind to turn on the meter." The Doctor fussed.

"Oh, you!" Martha groused.

But, Jenny eyed the strange man in the box with little concern. "Oi! You mind your manners!" she huffed. "Who do you think you are, anyways?"

The Doctor came out of the TARDIS and met Jenny face to face. "Young lady, you would mind yourself to take your own advice. I do not take to being spoken to in such a manner by someone so is so young." He huffed.

"Doctor," Martha warned.

"Oh, get in the box Martha Jones! This trip is over!"

"Wank stain." Jenny shouted at the Doctor.

"Jenny." Martha came to her side, took her hand and led her off a little ways. "I appreciate your protective mode, but this is fine. I know him."

"Stay," she pled again.

"I have to get back to my own world, to my own life, my own husband. Things will work out here, I promise."

"How would you know that Martha?" Jenny fretted. "How do you know that? If you stayed it would be like, a new start. He would be ok again. We could be a family."

Martha looked at the young girl. For all of her grown up looks and beauty, she was still a scared frightened little girl trying to take care of her daddy. " Jenny, there will come a time when what I say will make sense. I know today is not that day. My staying will not change how he feels. He misses her, not me. I am not her, and as smart as you are, deep down you know that."

Jenny nodded, sniffed wetly and looked away in shame. "I know," she whispered thickly. "I just don't know how to help him."

Martha drew the girl into a warm embrace. "Sure you do; what you are doing now. He needs that, but he also needs to be able to know that you are going to live your own life, so that he can live his."

Jenny laughed suddenly. "You are so much the same." She shook her head as they walked back to the TARDIS. "Look at you, trying to fix everything for everyone, and you just met us." She smiled and folded Martha into another hug. "I get it Martha; I am going to be fine."

"Yeah," she smiled. "You will."

"This is the final boarding call for flight 234 for let's get the hell on the TARDIS.' The Doctor announced from the doorway.

"He is a prig." Jenny announced.

"Hey," Martha fixed a wide grin on her face. "You are talking about my husband."

Jenny offered her a look of mock pity as the two entered the TARDIS. The Doctor popped his head out and fired off at Jenny. "Young Lady, I suggest you move back, this thing is going to kick off quite a bit once it goes. Go on, move along. I am sure you have some sort of ASBO hearing to attend."

Jenny stuck her tongue out at the Doctor, but moved away to be on the safe side. The Box whirred "I love you." She shouted to the disappearing box.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"You really did not have to be so mean about it." Martha accused, arms folded.

"Mean?" he shouted angrily. "You drag me off to be your personal livery driver, and I am the mean one?"

Martha, remembering her husband's words, merely shook her head and moved to sit in the jump seat. "Thank you." She huffed.

"Oh, now it is thank you?" The Doctor spoke as he adjusted the controls to fly them back. "Humph."

She looked at the man she loved, in this body she could find no resemblance to any of the men she had met. There was an anger, and Martha knew he had not yet lost what she knew he would lose. The callousness of his demeanor reminded her so much of who she had met before though. The one that did not love her.

It was in that moment she first began to understand the man that her husband was. Martha wanted to ask her husband about this one, about what loss he had that made him so far off. What made this one snap?

The TARDIS landed with a soft bump, Martha found herself running for the door. The Doctor had not said one word to her since she had offered her thanks. It was not like her to leave things this way; she had learned the frailty of life, mostly through her own missing mortality. She wanted things to be right. She wanted to offer this Doctor something that he could carry through and maybe take to being a better friend.

Something about failure in the other universe really made her compassion clench into a real palpable thing. She could not help the house full of grief there, but maybe she could offer something here, something more real than the sullen platitudes she left behind for Trev and Jenny.

And maybe a little self fix it was not such a bad thing too.

Martha turned and moved quickly to the sulking man at the controls. "Well," he fumed. "Go on then, what are you waiting for? Don't expect me to walk you to your front door, do you?"

She moved to his side, took his face in her hands and pulled him down fotr a kiss. "Thank you.' She purred.

"Humph," The Doctor answered, but with far less piss and vinegar. "Well, you think a little kiss is going to make this all better…"

"Yup." She announced with a pop of the 'p'.

"Well," he waved her away distractedly, but Martha could see a noticeable blush creeping across his features.

"You don't remember our date at all?" she purred. "You took me to the end of the universe."

"A theme park Martha," he groused. "And I have missed you." He whispered.

"I know.' She smiled with another small kiss. "But if I have caused you any of this grumpiness…"

He took her hands and pulled her into a hug, one that was far more comforting than she would have imagined. "Oh, no Martha Jones." He grinned honestly. "You have kept me from sinking."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

He was in the garden playing Frisbee with Gleep when she emerged from the TARDIS "Martha!" he waved. "Did you have a nice trip?"

Gleep caught the Frisbee and sent it back to the Doctor before running over to see her. "I did." She nodded.

The Doctor met her at the door and kissed her soundly "Find what you were looking for?" he asked breathlessly.

"In spades."

"Tell me everything." He asked as he kissed her more urgently.

"I will." She answered as she felt her knees grow weaker with each kiss.

But it was hours before she finally had enough air in her lungs to tell him of how many butterflies she had stepped on.


	11. Number One

**Sorry this took so long. Been a bit of a wild ride. **

**And as for this chapter? Blame Moffat  
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The morning light peeked in through the pale curtains of her bedroom. Martha had a hard time sleeping in these small hours of the morning. She was alone, again, as usual, par for the course. He had not been home in days, and she had begun to wonder of her logic to stay and try to form some small little life here.

Sighing, she through the covers aside and dug for her bunny slippers. They were a present from her husband, though he scoffed at the idea of bunny slippers. "They're Cartzulian foot beasts." He insisted. "They are mighty foot hunters, wearing these will ensure that that they are tricked into not eating your toes."

"Won't they think of other things to do then?" she smirked.

He then tweaked her nose and warned her of having such dirty thoughts, only to give hr a thousand more for the next hour.

Oh, how she was missing that incredibly insanely manic alien of hers. But he was off, on yet another important mission of mercy while she was here, waiting.

It wasn't that she did not want to go with him; in fact she hated to see that old weathered box disappear from atop her mum's roses. But, she had wanted to spend time with her family, time she knew she would never be able to get back.

In the end, it was always about time, wasn't it?

She plodded along the floor, Sunday morning in the cottage always made her smile, she knew that the rest of her family would be over later to have a raucous meal, even her father and his girlfriend would come over, and often there was little to no bloodshed. She loved living with her mum, but she looked forward to the times when her whole family was together again, kind of like old times.

Most of the time, Amy and Rory would drive up with little Will. She loved that little boy, in him she could pour all of her misfired maternal feelings, then send him home with his parents properly spoiled.

Payback was going to be a real bitch when the time came.

The kitchen held no good morning Sunday smells, and Martha realized that her mum was not in the house. Francine insisted upon cooking on those Sundays, she wanted to be the Queen of the domicile one say a week, and Martha allowed her indulgence, and it was not as if she herself intended to cool anything of the sort. In fact, the cooking thing completely befuddled her, this far out in the country it was a blessing, nowhere to order take away from in a pinch.

Nowhere to run to baby, nowhere to hide.

She put the kettle on and puttered around the kitchen, assuming her mother had left to hit the shops for dinner fixings. Martha stared around the large kitchen of her still newly purchased house. She had not stopped to consider that her need for a large old house was because of what she knew would come to be.

Eventually.

The window facing the garden had not been opened, yet, Martha smiled at her mother's quick departure, that was usually the first thing she did every morning on her way to her precious roses. Francine loved the sun, loved to sit at the table and watch it bend over the hills to the south of the house. But, when Francine switches over to whirlwind mode, she barely takes time to notice the passing of the day.

But she usually remembers her purse.

Martha, having lived long enough with a haphazard lifestyle and endless CSI repeats begins to worry. "Mum?" she calls through the house. "Mum, are you here?"

No answer.

She checked out of the window in the parlor to find her mother's car was still where it was. Panic began to run through her veins like cold water, and for a moment she is tempted to make a call for the Doctor to come home and help her find her mother.

Martha jogged to the back door and threw it open, hoping her mother had gone out of character and decided to work in the garden on a Sunday morning rather than work in the garden.

She got as far as the front porch.

Her Mother was seated on the stone bench near the back of the yard, speaking with someone that Martha could not decipher.

"Mum?" she asked loudly.

"Martha." Her mother waved her over. "Nice to see you awake, you should come over and say hell."

Mum, leave it to her to make friends with every wandering passerby. Well, every wandering passerby that did not land his ship on her flower bed on a regular basis. But as she advanced further, she realized how untrue her first analysis was.

"You!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

She wasn't supposed to go. Her mother had told her to wait for her sister, but she had always been a child bent on doing things on her own. It was only four blocks to the library, a short walk and one Martha was sure she could have done in her sleep.

Besides, Tish was three years older and held no truck for smaller siblings who often tagged behind. Nor did Tish have any interest in a library of any kind.

"Too much like school." The twelve year old sniffed wisely."I'm busy.'

She had packed herself a lunch, a couple of pounds for some chocolate at the little bodega next to the old building, and her umbrella. She always took her umbrella with her. It was important to be prepared for any emergency.

Martha Jones tucked her small hands into her pockets and waited patiently for the street lights to change color.

By the time she had made it to the library, the rain had started in earnest, and as she slipped into the small building, she inhaled deeply of the ancient smell of books and paper. She perused the children's section only to realize she had read all of the books in the tiny section. She made her way up the stairs to the big person's library, ten times the amount of books and they seemed harder and more…real.

A smile crept across her lips at the uncharted naughtiness of exposing these books. Her mother and sister always steered her away from these stacks; too mature, too young. All of the reasons resonated in her mind as she let her finger drag across the spines of books with funny titles.

There were so many, she hardly knew where to start.

"What are you looking for?" she heard from her right.

Martha turned to find an elderly gentleman standing at her side. He seemed to come out of nowhere like in those stupid cartoons her brother loves to watch. "My mother says I am not supposed to talk to strangers." She sniffed defiantly before turning back to her worship.

"Your mother sounds like a wise woman." The man agreed with a kind smile. He kneeled lower to meet her height. "I bet she is terribly proud to have a wonderfully smart daughter who takes her advice."

Martha opened her mouth to say thank you, but grinned at the man's joke. "I have to go." She shrugged.

He rose back to his usual height and sighed. "It's ok, I am sort of a librarian. What kind of book are you looking for, hmm?" he asked.

Martha shuffled her feet and spoke. "I read all of the books downstairs; they're all boring baby books."

The elderly man grinned down at her. "Oh my yes, I know all about needing to find new things, make new paths." He nodded.

"So," Martha went on, feeling an odd comfort in this man's presence. "I wanted to see some of the big people books here. Maybe find something that I have not read." She turned around in awe in the middle of the aisle. "There are so many books here."

"Yes there are," The man in the funny clothes mimicked her awe of the books. "I have been places with far more books than this.'

"Really?" she asked.

"Oh yes," he nodded. "Read them all too."

Martha folded her small arms and fixed a very Francine like glare at the man. "Now you are just having me on."

He held his hands up in mock surrender. "Honest. I have read most of them. The thing about books is, they are little worlds aren't they?"

"Yeah," she nodded, but even in her nine year old mind, she could tell that he was not lying about having read so much.

"A very famous author once wrote that the writer is a creator of worlds. A creator of worlds, can you imagine the power behind that?"

"No," she admitted.

"I mean, my dear I have been some places, I have seen some worlds, but none as powerful as the ones the writer creates."

"Right." Martha nodded, having the sincere impression that this man was used to ramblings that often digressed into his own mutterings.

But the man seemed to ignore her. "But the worlds are full of dangers. There are things that hide in the dark, things that you must look out for. For all the beauty in those worlds, there is danger too. Maybe that is what makes them so beautiful."

"I just wanted to find a good book to read."

"Ah," the elderly man began. "I may be able to help you with that." He began to rummage through his pockets and somehow produced a rather thick book. "This book will help you. Entertain as well as educate. There are worlds here, Martha. Beautiful and dark. One must exist for the other to be so appreciated."

"How did you get that into your pocket?" Martha asked as he held out the thick book to her.

"Someday you will far better understand the marvels of the universe, "he smiled. "This will help you to know your little corner of it. "

She took the book from him and looked at the cover. "Is it any good?" she asked suspiciously.

"My dear," he smiled that gentle but dangerous smile. "It is the best."

"Adults always say that." She pouted.

"Adults say a lot of things. I am sure your mother tells you things all of the time. You should listen to her."

"She yells a lot."

"She yells because she cares. She warns you about going off on your own because she cares."

Martha shrugged and tucked the book under her arm. "I should go home now then." But just as she spoke Martha heard her name being called from behind her.

"We were worried sick about you!" her mother gushed.

"I just wanted to get a book." Martha defended.

"If the librarian had not called we would have gone to the police."

"Ah," the elderly man began. "You tell them not to wander off. Make rules about it actually. But, they have a will of their own."

"Mr. Smith?" Francine asked the man next to Martha. "Thank you for calling."

But the elderly man waved off her gratitude. "My granddaughter is infamous for running off. Nearly want to put a leash on that one." He smiled.

Francine nodded knowingly. "Don't I know it! You find a bargain on one, let me know."

"Oh this is a bright one, I don't think she will be running off again anytime soon, right Martha?" he smiled down at her.

"Mum, he gave me a book." Martha beamed.

"Martha, thank Mr. Smith for keeping you out of trouble.

"But Mum, he pulled this big book out of his pocket, like a magician."

Francine smiled and indulgently patted her daughter on the head. "Thank you Mr. Smith, are you sure you want to part with that? It seems old and…"

But he waved her away again. "I have so many copies of the Complete Works of Shakespeare, I can spare one."

Francine shook his hand and thanked him again. The man dipped down again to Martha's height. "Words have power Martha, remember that." He patted her on the head and turned to walk away.

"Thank you for the book Mr. Smith." She waved, but he kept walking.

XXXXXXXXXXX

"Timey wimey my ass." Martha sighed.

"That was a really old book." Francine laughed. "When I saw how old it was, I tried to go back to the library and find you, but no one knew who you were."

"Well, I had a folio, but I think you would have gotten suspicious from that one." He smiled.

"It figures," Martha shook her head. "You would give me Shakespeare."

The Doctor looked at her with kind eyes. "I would give you anything Martha Jones. "

Martha shook her head and giggled. "You flatterer. " she accused. "But, what you did isn't it sort of cheating?"

"I wanted to keep you safe.' He nodded. "There was a very bad man in the neighborhood, and I wanted to make sure you did not end up in his clutches."

Francine's face went ashen. "Oh, I remember, he was the reason I was so incensed at you taking off. There was a man that was abducting girls, your age, your features Martha. I was beside myself."

"I wanted a book to read."

"And, I wanted you to stay off the streets until that mad man was caught." Francine answered.

"No running off." The Doctor shook his finger at Martha.

"Now I feel bad for having slapped you." Francine shook her head.

"Spoilers, Mum" Martha nudged her mother.

"Well, I do. He kept you safe, and had I known that he was him, I would have felt a lot better about all of the things I perceived as his dragging you into." Francine shrugged.

"Don't worry." The Doctor patted Francine on the shoulder. "I am sure on some level I had it coming. Or will have it coming, or…" he shrugged and smiled.

Francine invited him to stay for dinner, but he declined, He rose from his seat and Martha was struck by just how old he really seemed. "This is you right?" she asked as she walked him back to his TARDIS.

"It is me, dear." He answered.

"For you, I mean what number is this?" she asked.

"The original." He stated proudly.

"But you seem so much older and wiser."

"Oh Martha, you are just seeing a more weary me. Don't let outer appearances fool you, I have been in this body for a long time, it's getting near time for me to change. I can feel it every time I come out of that box." He pointed his cane at the blue box.

Martha nodded and smiled. "But it's still you. And I love you."

He seemed to stand a little straighter. "Of course you do, I would not be here if you did not." He patted her shoulder. "I suppose I had to be younger to keep up with you."

She laughed at his bawdy humor. "That you do." She smiled.

"And, it's good for me. You I mean, having someone that I know is there. The TARDIS is my home, but this," he widened his arms to show the house, and her. "This is where I belong."

Martha hugged the older man before he got into his ship. "Go easy on him Martha, its not like this is an easy thing for him."

"Oh I know you Doctor, you can pretend, but this sort of thing, its right in line with your behavior."

The Doctor shook his head and sighed. "Still. Intentions and all that."

"Yeah," she nodded back. "Road to Hell and all that."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I want to see them all." She leveled at the man in the bow tie.

"All?" he asked confused. "All of what?"

Martha folded her arms as she sat on the bed. He had finally turned up in the middle of dinner, bearing strange but tasty treats, fantastic tales of bizarre worlds, and a wolfish grin.

"I want to see every picture of you that is out there. Don't make me call Colonel Mace, I would rather you offered the information willingly."

"Martha"

She raised her right hand to put off his attempt at talking his way out of it. He was far too good at that. "Don't placate me, Doctor. I am not in the mood,."

"I was keeping you safe." He defended. "And, a year together, and it's just _now_ you ask for my other faces?"

"You were meddling!" she fired back.

"Meddling? How is that meddling?" he was wringing his hands, a sure sign to Martha that he was suitably worried about her level of anger.

Good.

"Is that why you took me to 1599, Globe Theatre?"

The Doctor smiled and looked upward reverently. "Ah, our first date."

"Was it? Or are there other versions of you that have taken me off for coffee and chips?"

The Doctor came to sit next to her on the bed. "I took you because I gave you that book, yes. Remembering it did not come for me until I saw you that day at Royal Hope. I smiled the first time I saw you, winked too."

"I have said it before and I will say it again. This is mad. Bat shit crazy mad."

"I don't want this to become a thing here Martha." He warned darkly

"How is this not going to be a thing between us, Doctor?" She railed. "It's as if I have no control over my own life." She sighed finally.

The Doctor came and placed his arm around her, tentatively. "You have plenty of control Martha." He sighed.

"Do I? I mean how often has this happened Doctor? We have been together for a year and I am still wondering how often I am going to have these sudden revelations."

"It's not like that."

"You aren't even supposed to be crossing time lines or anything like that. Aren't you afraid of blowing up the universe or something?"

"No, it's not the same." He assured her.

"Enlighten me."

But he sat silent, and the anger seemed to build in the room until it seemed to become a tangible, living thing.

"You could have told me, Doctor." She accused. "A year together and you could have said something before now. You could have said something at the Globe. It would have been a fun anecdote."

"Where's the fun in that?" he answered. "It's much more fun to sit here and be yelled at, isn't it?"

She fired a look at him that removed the smirk on his face and left the sulky one. "Things have to happen in a certain way Martha. Telling you things could have changed the way things played out. And, I am limited in what I know and when I know it. You said yourself, stepping on butterflies."

"Now I know how the bloody butterfly feels." She clenched.

"Things have to unfold in a logical way, we can't know everything. Its not as if I am a fortune teller." He admonished. "Forbidden knowledge could have unmade the universe."

"So can cheap parlor tricks." She bit, losing the battle with her own anger."How many times?" she asked through gritted teeth.

"What?" he asked innocently.

"Doctor," she warned. "How many times?"

"Weee-eeellll…."


	12. Seventh Wave

**Sorry this took so long...what can i say? Its summer and i am enjoying the heat. I am not happy with this chapter, and for some reason it was hard to write, but we have made it through the 11 course meal, and dessert is the next chapter...TEN! It will come much sooner i promise. this one took a lot for me to work out. Sorry again. Happy reading.** T**hanks for all the wonderful reviews, you guys are so awesome. ANd, i have picked up some new readers. Good for you, nice to have you on the journey with us.**

The pain was coming steadily now. She flexed and unflexed her fingers within her mother's grasp.

"Not long now," Francine patted her daughter's shoulder lovingly.

Martha flinched at her touch. "Mum, you have to understand." She tried again. She had tried to explain to her mother that this may not be the blessed event that they had awaited. For one, it was far too soon, and the battle that raged on around them was still far off enough in the distance that they would be safe tucked deep into the English countryside.

But.

There were no doctors, no hospitals to make it to. The Cybermen had come again, and again Martha feared the loss of losing those close to her as she had lost Addie so long ago. She had watched him climb into his magical blue box, as she had seen him so often before. He waved, and she waved before he left. Had to leave.

"Mum" she breathed again between contractions. "This is happening too early, do you understand? Even in the best of conditions this could end in—"

But Francine shook her head and smiled. "Not long now Martha, " she repeated again sweetly.

"Mum," Martha tried.

But Francine shook her head again and offered a cool rag across the struggling woman's brow. "It will all work out Martha," she insisted. "We have come a long way for this to happen, and you of all people know how miracles can exist."

Martha smiled, of course she knew, but the fear took over. She knew that this would all work out, she'd had the spoilers to end-all spoilers. But, that did little to quell the fear, the absolute terror for herself and her baby. "Mum" she tried again. "There are factors that you don't know about." She opened her mouth to go on, but another contraction hit her full force.

Francine held her daughter's hand as the pain rode through her small body. "Breathe through it." Francine soothed. "Everything will be fine, Martha."

It was Martha's turn to shale her head and clench her teeth. "Mum! Please stop placating me." She squeezed as the pain subsided in its crest. "This is not a human baby, do you understand? There are problems with him coming and not having another mind to connect to."

Francine rose from her crouch by the small bed in the cellar. Neither one of them had anticipated it being as bad as it had become, they made for the cellar ten hours after the news from London had hit. Three hours after that, Martha's water had broken as they sat playing gin in the far corner of the small basement.

"Mum," Martha repeated. "Do you understand what I am saying? This is not a normal baby. He is different. The Doctor explained it to me, when a baby of his species is born, there was to be a connection made to the Matrix."

"The Matrix? Oh Martha you are starting to sound like a bad movie."

"The matrix, it's like a hive for them, or was. When a child was born, they would have other minds to connect to. There is none of that for him, and the Doctor was worried what that would mean for Trevor."

Martha shook her head fiercely. "Mum. You have to understand, please. Trevor has to have a connection to someone psychically, someone of his kind. The Gallifreyian brain is different than ours. You know they have four lobes instead of two."

Francine eyed her daughter cautiously. "I realize that this is not the best time for this to happen, no one understands that more than me, Martha." Francine sighed heavily. "You kids were all born in nice safe hospitals, clean conditions. There were birthing rooms, and frills, and nurses who said 'Ma'am.' "

"It's more than that Mum." She was getting frustrated, the pain was making her cranky, but her mother's resistance to abiding into her total freak out was far more maddening. "There is no way of getting around the matrix."

"Martha, this baby is coming. We can freak out about what can or will or may happen, or we can just deal with the circumstances and go on. Either way, your waters have ruptured and the wolf is at the door." Francine moved to the stairs to get more supplies for the birth. "I am not going to sit here with you and deliver a baby that we expect to die."

"But he might, Mum." Martha answered in a small voice that reminded her of when she was ten and had lost her diary at school. She ran a hand over her bloated middle; a shuddering breath escaped her lips as the pain began anew "He might."

"Might isn't good enough, Martha," her mother laughed. "You are going to be a mum sweetheart, smile."

Martha watched as her mother ran up the stairs, a fresh wave of pain hitting every nerve in her body. She clenched, against her better judgment, trying to fight the pain, or hold on to the baby inside of her.

It was just too soon, even with what she knew from meeting the future, she still wondered if this baby would be a distant memory, a stop before Trevor. Martha wished he was here, wish he would come back from fighting the good fight to attend to the fight here at home. She wished a lot of things in those moments that just were not to be.

The wave subsided, they were coming every three minutes now, and she was surprised at the speed that her labor was progressing. She supposed she had been in labor since the morning the Doctor left, but there was no going back now, nothing she could have doen differently to change anything. She could have begged him to stay, but he would have stayed, and things outside would be worse. She could have gone to the local hospital, only to be in the middle of the fracas. People were dying, and for the first time in as long as she could remember, Martha felt helpless to do anything.

Gleep worried himself in an endless pace at the foot of her cot. Every three minutes, the dragon seemed to twist with a pain of his own. Martha knew there was a psychic link, the Doctor had helped her learn about her new existence, but to see Gleep in pain hurt her as much as her own. She raised onto her elbows and tried to console him.

"I'm fine Gleep." She tried with what she hoped was a brave smile. "Its going to be all right."

Gleep stopped his pacing for a moment and considered her with a tilted glare.

"Yeah," she huffed as the pain began to edge again. "I knew that dog wouldn't hunt."

She had counted five contractions since her mother had left for upstairs. As the latest contraction ebbed into mild discomfort, she began to worry about her. Had the Cybermen found them? She tried to quiet herself and listen for movement upstairs, but only silence greeted her. "Gleep," she called weakly.

Gleep ambled over to her side; he had grown in the five years since their meeting. His wings and head were still too big for his body, but Martha knew that he would grow into them some day.

"Gleep, go check on mum, yeah?" she asked. Gleep nodded and blew a small breath of cool air against her face. He did that often, Martha called it 'blowing kisses.' She watched her friend fly up the staris and use his small hands to open the latches.

She hated feeling helpless, and this time a healthy dose of uselessness really added to her ire. It was stupid, she realized that birth left her in a very vulnerable spot, but there was little she could do for herself, let alone anyone else.

She finally did hear sounds. The door opened from upstairs and Martha heard footsteps approaching. Instinct moved her hands to her middle in a pitiful attempt at protecting her baby. "Mum?" she asked frailly, then hated her weakness.

"Martha," her mother smiled as she drew nearer to the cot in the corner. "Come on, let's get you upstairs."

Martha stared at her mother in search of the second head. "We agreed mum," she spoke slowly as if speaking to a small child. "It's safer down here."

Francine smiled big and winked. "Nonsense, Martha." She moved over to her daughter and began to help her out of bed. "This is no place to have a baby. Its dank and dirty down here."

"And safe," Martha added, but allowed herself to be helped to her feet. "But the Doctor and I agreed that if anything happened, down here was safest." She looked around to make sure her things were collected; mostly her doctor's bag, she had good drugs there for pain.

But Francine ignored her as they made their way up the stairs. The cellar opened into the bright airy kitchen, and it had already gotten dark outside. Martha was surprised to realize tht she had no idea what time it was. Labor had left her in an odd cocoon of existence; leaving only the pain and her fears to be counted.

They stumbled into the room that Martha had been using as a bedroom for the past three months, Francine had taken her time before coming to get her daughter, even arranging enough towels and sheets upon the bed.

"Did you boil water too, Mum?" Martha grinned around the pain.

She smiled ads she got her daughter situated. "You watch far too many tv dramas Martha." Francine admonished. "All that expensive medical training and you ask about boiling water." She teased, but allowed her face to creep into serious. "You better now?"

The two women smiled around the pain, but Martha could see her own fears reflected in her mother's eyes, but she decided that Trevor should be born into happiness, not fear. "Better." She nodded around gritted teeth. Francine took her hand and Gleep took up his pace at the foot of her bed.

"Mum, what's going on out there?" Martha asked and nodded to the small television on the desk.

Francine shrugged. "Same old thing Martha. You would think people would learned leave London at Christmas, and any major holiday for that matter." When they had gone into the basement, the ships had appeared over London, and the Cyber things were walking the streets as if they owned them.

Martha smiled. "Four minutes mum." She announced.

Francine nodded and looked at her watch. "Won't be long now."

"You keep saying that." Martha hurled, shorter than she meant, but given the pain she was dealing with, Martha figured it was well deserved. Perhaps a right out tantrum would be next.

"And it is still true." Francine evened. Francine placed sterile items in their places, arranged carefully towels and sterile packs for the birth like a skilled surgeon.

"Mum, if it all goes wrong, if anything happens—" Martha began.

"Martha, I am about to deliver my first baby here, if you go on about what could go wrong, I will be too focused upon that to make sure that it all goes right."

Martha raised herself onto her elbows and reached for her mother's hand. "Mum," she went on. "I just want you to know that if anything goes wrong, this is no one's fault. It's a bad situation, that's all. We were stuck here; no one else could get out her to be with us. " Martha let her gaze leave her mother's and stared at the dragon pacing in front of the bed. "We both know I am going to be fine."

Francine followed her daughter's stare, gulped and shool her head. "That doesn't mean that you are impervious."

"Yes it does!" Martha hissed as the pain began to ratchet again. "That is exactly what this means. The game has changed, Mum. This is not about me; I am not going to bleed out or tear or anything like that. Trust me."

Francine nodded. "I understand."

Martha bit through the pain as it travelled through her. She tried to keep her physician mind from interfering with her emotions. Or was it vice versa? "The thing I was trying to explain to you, Mum. The problem with the baby; If there is no one here, it may be bad. "

Her mother sat at the side of her bed and took her hand. "Tell me what I need to know." Francine conceded with a sigh.

"Trevor won't have any outward medical conditions. At least none that we have detected so far." She and the Doctor had spent enough time checking the progress of their baby with the equipment in the TARDIS. He had reassured her a million times that everything was as normal as could be expected.

"We have been monitoring the progress, but the Doctor promised me he would be here for the birth, that no matter what, he would make it." She shook her head to fight back tears. Francine took her hand in hers and nodded for her to go on.

"The Matrix was like the Time Lord Hive mind, it was a sort of psychic link. They couldn't communicate thorough it or anything, it was like a…" Martha let her words falter as the next wave hit.

Her mother patted her hand and coaxed her to blow through the pain. "It's like a comfort then?" Francine asked finally as the contraction subsided.

"Yeah, well no. Well, yes and no." she smiled. "Oh I have been with that strange little man for far too long; I am starting to sound like him."

"Your words dear," Francine smiled back. "what could happen to him, I mean what could his birth cause?"

Martha shifted around trying to find a comfortable position. "He would have severe mental deficiency. Without the matrix to hold onto. Its like his brain would never get kick started." She ran her hand over her eyes. "Permanent vegetative state."

"It's important. I am not human, and I am not Gallifreyian. The link is gone because his people are gone."

"Right," Francine nodded.

"Three minutes mum/" Martha announced at the end of the next wave.

"I am going to have to check you Martha." Martha nodded as her mother moved to the front of her bed. "You said it should be thin and papery?" she asked finally.

"Yeah," Martha nodded as the mobile next to her bed rang. She rolled her body to catch it, thankful for the voice on the other end.

"Martha?" he asked from what seemed like an eternity away. "Are you all right?"

She wiped the tears from her eyes and laughed. "Nice of you to ring back.' She mocked.

"Well, I am sort of in the middle of a thing." He piqued. "I am pretty sure you were not calling me to tell me the world was ending, sort of have that covered already. Or…." Martha heard what sounded like an audible crash on his end. Whizzes and beeps mingled with foreign tongued cruses followed. "Not. Oops."

She could practically feel him grinning madly on the other end. She swore the man was not happy unless shit was on fire. "You'll figure it out." She huffed as another contraction started.

"Martha,' he asked "Is everything all right?"

"Martha," her mother cleared. "You are just about there."

Martha nodded at her mother and spoke on the phone. "It's time Doctor." She spoke.

"Time? Of course it's time, it's always about time. I am calling you in the middle of fidgety running. Martha, I have noticed it's very hard to hold a conversation while running."

She nodded and sighed. "I know, but the thing is-"

"Martha," Francine interrupted. "I am going to need you to push with the next contraction."

"Martha, is everything all right? The baby?"

"Martha, push!" Francine insisted.

"On its way!" Martha screamed as she tried to keep from pushing.

"Martha! Push!" Francine yelled.

"I can't Mum!" she fought. In her mind, she knew that as long as the baby stayed within her, he was alive, and safe, and there was hope. If she pushed now, he would be born into a world not ready for him. It hurt like hell, but she held onto the pain and rode it out.

"Martha, Martha!" The Doctor called across the distance.

"He's coming, Doctor, and I mean now!"

"Right then," the short, dark haired, man in the funny clothes announced as he entered the room, "then we had best get started then, eh?"

Both women turned to look at the intruder. He was short of stature, older, and spoke in a thick Scottish brogue. "Doctor?" they asked in unison.

"Yes?" both the man in the room and the man on the phone answered.

Francine moved aside and allowed the Doctor to step in. She came to offer her strength to the younger woman in bed. "This is good, right?" she asked her daughter.

"Martha?" The Doctor on the phone asked. "Who's there?"

But Martha could not talk as she shifted into the throes of another piggy backed contraction. The world seemed to spin then tilt on its axis as the phone was taken from her hand. She was lost in a field of pain and experience. Martha had always believed that she would be present and conscious for the birth of her child, but the pain of it was worsened by her attempts to halt the delivery.

"Martha," The Doctor announced from the foot of the bed. "Now, this is very important, I need you to push, it's going to go very quickly at this point, all right?"

"That is a Scottish voice, Martha who is that? Have the Scotts invaded too?" The Doctor asked.

"Doctor," Francine said. "Focus please, we are sort of in the middle of something."

"Martha, Its almost there, I can feel the head." The Doctor at the foot of the bed shouted. "Small breaths, big pushed come on."

"Wait a minute," the man on the phone spoke. "I know that voice." He panted.

Francine took the phone and spoke. "Doctor. Everything is fine. You are her, or one of you. Or…" she shrugged and looked at her daughter.

"Scottish accent, Funny little hat? Weird clothes?"

"Doctor, now is not the time to discuss your interpretation of weird…are you running?" Francine asked.

"Still." He answered. "How is Martha?"

Martha groaned as her upper body rose from the bed, screamed as she felt her body ripping the new life forth.

"Ah," the Doctor on the phone answered. "Lots of shouting I see."

"Martha," the other Doctor spoke. "Last time, one good one for us and we'll have a baby." His voice never broke cadence, his voice gave her serenity as she moved into the home stretch.

Francine grabbed her daughter's shoulders and placed the phone close to Martha's ear. The last scream ended the silence in the room. Ended in a pale thin wail.

"Oh, he is quite the bonnie one!" The older man smiled, "I nearly didn't make it inn time."

"Oh," the voice from the phone cried.

"Oh Mum," Martha wailed as the Doctor held the bloody baby. He smiled big and turned away.

"What is he doing?" Francine asked Martha. The Doctor still held the baby.

"Martha, is he ok? What's going on? I can't hear anything! And I am still being chased!" the Doctor ranted from somewhere else.

Martha laughed and took the phone in her hand. "Thank you." She said to her husband. "I knew you would be here." She tried to clear the tears from her voice as she watched the other Doctor leave the room with Trevor.

"He's fine?" the Doctor asked.

"Ten fingers, ten toes." Martha announced.

"Good," The Doctor said thickly. "I have discovered something else Martha."

"Yeah?" she asked

"Crying and running is hard too." He sniffed. "Sorry I missed it."

"You didn't" she said. "You were here. And thank you for that."

"I have to go now Martha," he breathed. She could tell he was still running, and probably had been the whole time. "Stay safe, I will be there soon."

"Just get here when you can, and in one piece please."

"Oh, you and your standards!" he joked and severed the connection.

Martha smiled into the now dead phone and placed it on the table.

"Martha," Francine warned, "He's been gone with Trevor for a while now."

"It's ok Mum,"

But Francine was as fiercely protective of her grandchildren as she was her children. After making sure Martha was fine and the placenta safely delivered, she made her way out of the room in searh of her newest grandson.

She had not held him yet, but the Doctor had prepared her for that. He would need to be fully connected before he could be ok.

But Trevor would live.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Doctor held his son close to his chest. In the soft glow of the early morning, he stood on the front porch of the cottage in the middle of nowhere. "He's ours?" he asked the small woman in the proch swing.

"Oh yes," she smiled. "And I have the skid marks to prove it."

The Doctor moved to sit next to his wife. "He has that new baby smell."

She took the small hand into her own, at less than two days old, Trevor was surprisingly alert and could already follow with his eyes.

"I never thought…" the Doctor began, something in his throat caught, he cleared it and went on. "Afrter the war, I never thought I could be happy again."

"You, happy?" she smiled

"Immensely!" he offered, eyes still fixed upon his son. "I wish I could have been there."

"You were." She insisted again.

But, the Doctor sighed and leaned back into the seat. "Not the same. Its like this funny little memory of it. I was there, I delivered him, and your Mum thought I was going to take off with him. Followed me all the way into the TARDIS. She demanded to know everything."

"Your seventh self is quite the gentleman. Mum loved him"

The Doctor guffawed loud enough to startle the nearly sleeping baby in his arms. "She didn't know me. I would have Ace blow something up as soon as look at it. I ran around spouting about how she and Hex should be more like me. In the end, I guess they were."

"Doctor." Martha soothed his dark emotions with her touch. "Sometimes you have to."

"And, sometimes, you need someone to talk sense into your head." He grinned.

"Some of us more than others." She smiled.

"Oi!" he protested. The Doctor sniffed petulantly, and then smiled at the small woman. "Martha, thank you."

"Not a problem Doctor." Martha answered.

"No," he shook his head as he snuggled the baby closer to him. "I mean it. If it wasn't for you, I would still be so alone; I would still have this hole in me."

She smiled in the darkness of the fading day, basked in the soft coos and noises from the baby in her husband's arms. "Yeah,"

"Was it awful?" he asked quietly. "There was an awful lot of noise from your end."

"That noise wasn't coming from my end." She smiled. "And, no, it wasn;t awful. Never, it was a blessing, a little miracle that we have him here."

"I didn't think the message would get through, I was worried no one would come." The Doctor admitted.

"Mum knew." Martha said. "She had no doubts. She was scared, but I have to say she had a lot more faith in you than I did."

"Well," the Doctor smiled. "Looks like I married the wrong Jones woman."

"Watch it Doctor." Francine spoke from the doorway. "You two should bring that baby in, far too shilly for a little one to be out this late."

As the three made their way into the house, Francine grabbed her son-in-law's arm. "Well played Doctor, well played."

"Thanks." He smiled. "I would do anything for her. For them."

"Though," she offered with a nod. "You did leave everything a little too close to the end there."

The Doctor smiled and glanced at as she made her way through the kitchen. "Well, you know me Francine."

"I do now." She allowed an arm around his shoulder. "I know that I can trust you. Though, I wouldn't mind having the little Scottish bloke around a bit more. Best manners of you lot, for sure."


	13. Three's Company

**I originally told you all that Ten would be next, but Elizabeth asked for a more fleshed out meeting between Martha and Three. I cannot tell her no, she leaves such detailed reviews.**

**So this one is officially for Elizabeth the Cannuck. Yah Hey dere Liz, Enjoy!**

** Thanks for all the love from everyone, and Ten should be up in a couple days.**

"Come for a ride.

"No,"

"Please?"

She stood with arms folded, sincere in her decision. "I have a wedding to attend, you stay here with me," Martha said.

'Oh! You know I am rubbish at weddings." He pouted, digging his toes into the ground in an attempt to appear older than four.

But, Martha was not moved, nor was she going to allow him to yet again dip out of somethingshe wanted to do. All of time and space, and it was always something ending in the Doctor smiling and she shaking her head.

"Go on then," she waved. "I will go to Tara's wedding on my own. You go, go on save the universe, stop a revolt, whatever it is that has your feet in full itch."

"Martha!" he pouted. "I don't want to go alone."

"Well, we should have handshakes and tee shirts made up." Martha dug her hands into her pockets against the night air. "I told them I would be there, and I plan on going."

"Plan," the Doctor mused with a grin. "Does that mean if something else comes up you would be willing to avoid it?"

Martha knew that tone, her husband was formulating some sort of crazy plan andshe was not interested in at all. "No.": she said vehemently. "Whatever you are cooking up in that four lobed brain of yours, you may as well just leave it. Go, hop into that machine and set the coordinates for Neverwhere, cause I am going to the wedding. With or without you."

"Martha!" he pled. "You know weddings are bad for me."

"Is that why we never had one?" she asked

The Doctor raised his finger to continue his argument, but stopped in mid air. "We are married in every way that counts." He fumed.

"You don't have to come Doctor, it's not requirement. You don't even know Charlie and Tara."

He leaned against the TARDIS arms folded. "This is the domestic thing that I detest." He started. "Friends, weddings, funerals. This is all trappings of a culture that has little to do with me."

Martha sat on the porch step and eyed him. "Really? Nothing to do with you? Then why do you keep meddling in our affairs so often."

"I meddle in everything." He spat.

"True facts.' Martha nodded. "And I am human, you had to have known what you were getting into that night in bed." She smirked.

The Doctor guffed loudly. "You aren't coming, are you? Travels in time you know." He fixed his tie and walked closer to her.

"Yeah, and I am sure you would get me back in time."

"I would!" he defended as he sat next to her on the step.

"You can barely fly that thing."

The Doctor preened a bit and spoke; "Still," he sniffed. "I am the only one who can fly it, now aren't I?"

"And the way things look, you always will be." She spat.

"I'll teach you Martha." He smiled. "Right and proper. Well as right and proper as I can, well… " he trailed.

"Is there a manual?" She asked.

"There was.' He nodded.

"Let me guess, you through it out the door into a black hole. "

"Supernova actually." He grinned boyishly. At Martha's look of disdain the Doctor bristled. "Well, it was wrong! Always wrong. No point in me teaching you is there? Not like I have all the answers."

It was a sore subject, one that he did not realize he had touched upon until it was too late. The Doctor reached for Martha's arm but she was faster. She was always faster than him, and it reminded both of them of her differences from humanity. "Martha, wait."

"Just go, yeah?" she asked softly. Not really angry, mostly tiered of arguing. "Its ok. I said you don't have to come with. I am fine, really."

The Doctor nodded, rose, and moved to the TARDIS. He stood in front of the open door, one foot in his ship, one on solid ground. "I love you, you know." He smiled. "

Martha offered him a brave but sheltered smile. "See you when you get back." She waved.

There were words of love, but the strain was there. After two years of marriage, the glaring differences between the two of them were there, staring them in the face. They danced around sore subjects, blasted through their conversations with humor and pop culture references, all the while avoiding the things that marked them as different and the same.

Martha moved into the house, determined to go to Tara's wedding and have a good time. Charlie had been on e of her best friends in college, initially they were roommates in the cramped dorms. Charlie was never shy about her sexual orientation, and Martha was blown away by the tall woman's intelligence.

Tara and Charlie were going to have a small reception. There was nbo way she would cotton to miss their wedding. It was something that was as important to her as her own. Or the lack there of.

It did not bother her that the two of them never had a ceremony, Martha never expected one. She never expected to be with the Doctor either.

When she first met him, she had assumed a roll in the sack would be a wonderful memory. After the genetic transfer at Royal Hope, the idea of his mouth burning kisses along her flesh consumed her every time she closed her eyes. She never expected that he would return her desires. Perhaps that was the best part. Forbidden fruit being the sweetest of all.

But, in that bed on that alien planet, he confessed to her everything she had ever wanted, and the floodgates burst open, spilling love like over ripe peaches. He touched her and Martha wished he had more hands.

The reality of life with the Doctor was more than what she expected. She had assumed he would pop in every so often; she had planned for only having him in small bites. She knew the Doctor would never just be some bloke from Devonshire whose mother hated her.

And, even with knowing all these things, the reality was still, at times, hard to reconcile.

Was she angry to have to go to the wedding alone?

Maybe.

Was she surprised?

Not at all.

Martha sighed and carried herself into the cottage. She enjoyed having the house to herself, but considered asking her Mum to come live with her. She knew that some time soon, she would be pregnant. It was as real a fact as the nose on her face. She had met Trevor, had tucked him into his little bed. Martha knew she would love any child they had together, but sometimes, it felt like lying to him about what she knew.

She climbed into the shower after laying out her outfit. It was a three hour drive to London from where they lived, and Martha knew if she did not get started now, she really would talk herself out of it in favor of wallowing in depression over the state of her marriage.

"There is nothing wrong with our marriage." She insisted to the shower head. "We are fine, I have seen the future, I know we will work through this."

But, the Doctor often said that time could be rewritten, and a bonding by no means meant forever. Did it?

Was she still angry about how he had treated her in the beginning Was she stupid to sweep the feelings of hurt and rejection under the rug and always give in to how he felt? To give the Doctor a bigger piece of her heart that the one she gave herself?

Martha wasn't sure. As the water slouched over her small body, she began to question everything she thought she had been fine with. The anger, the pain. Being a maid for three months. Being set aside so often by him for someone else. All those things she had moved past. All those things were finally tryuly in the past.

But the present had all kinds of new weirdness's and oddities to deal with.

She never heard him enter the room. She had no idea that when she emerged from the shower, there would be someone sitting on her bed as if he belonged there.

In a way, he did.

"Ah, Martha." The older man with white hair smiled.

She held the towel around herself in defense, scanning the room for something to use as a weapon. "I am going to stay as calm as possible as I figure out what you are doing in my room," she gritted bravely.

He through his head back and laughed. Standing to his full over six foot height, Martha was suddenly stricken by who it was in her bed. "Oh," she smirked.

"What's wrong my dear?" he asked, straightening his attire. "Haven't met all of us yet?"

"Not," she swallowed. "Yet.'

The Doctor nodded and came to her taking Martha in his arms. "You'll get used to it." He grinned showing large perfect teeth. "Well, its good to meet you Martha jones! I was wondering if I would ever settle down again."

"Really?" she asked, moving out of his grasp and to the vanity in the corner.

The Doctor smiled and leapt back unto the bed, completely mussing the quilts as he landed. "Oh, yes. You know, my first marriage was not so great. In fact, she was quite glad to be rid of me."

Martha brushed out her hair as the Doctor chatted. He was much older, his hair was an iron grey and solid crow's feet nestled into the corners of both his eyes and mouth. But, there was a warmth about him that she was not used to. The blonde one was soft and sweet; he carried the same warmth as this one, but this doctor was different in a way she had a hard time realizing. She was sure that this Doctor was as dangerous as any of them. "Was she?" Martha hummed as she put on her makeup.

"Oh, she was an old stick in the mud. Had to see the universe, didn't i?" he sniffed and threw his hands behind his head. "But, you. I have the feeling that you are very much the adventurer, aren't you Martha?"

Martha turned to smile at the man on her bed. "Can't fool you." She sighed.

Her words were met with a silence that she was already not used to from this man. "Martha," he asked sitting up a little. "Things are good, aren't they?" he asked suddenly, almost reverently.

Martha sighed again and turned to look at the Doctor. "Things are as they are Doctor. I don't know what sort of answer you want here."

The Doctor moved to stand behind Martha as she sat at the vanity. "I don't want things to be as they are, or whatever that means." He spoke. "But, it does not take Sigmund Freud to interpret the frown in your voice."

Martha shook her head. "I don't want to go into this with you. In all honestly, you don't know all of the situation." She turned to look at the man behind her. "In fact, why are you even here?"

The Doctor stared at her with a look of hurt. "You are right, I don't understand. It seems to mether eis so much more here than I know,. But, I do know that you are not happy, Martha. Why am I not making you happy?"

Martha could not help but feel for the man. He seemed honestly concerned for her feeling, "I guess I did not read the fine print. Or, if I did, I did not pay it much heed." She sighed.

He smiled to encourage her to go on.

"I didn't think it would be this hard." She breathed, letting her head slip backwards onto his still standing form. "I knew it would be, but I didn't think it really would be. Or, I thought I could deal with the separateness, or loneliness." She sniffed.

The Doctor rubbed her shoulders gently as he spoke. "It's a funny life this, but I do know that you are exactly what I want."

Martha shrugged and began to fix her hair. "I don't think platitudes or pep talks are what I am looking for, thanks."

The Doctor folded his arms and spoke. "Oh, I see. You think you got into something you did not bargain for. Travelled with me for how long?" he asked gruffly.

"A year." She nodded.

"Ah, a year, and what I swept you off of your feet in that year?"

"Hardly." Martha sniffed indignantly. "You were a prig to me."

"Must have been bad if it still hurts you to talk about."

Martha shrugged again. "It's not that I don't want to talk about it. I would just prefer to not talk about it with you. It seems I spend far too much time talking to other versions of you rather than the one I married."

"But, I am the same man Martha.' The Doctor insisted. "If any of us hurt you, then all of us hurt you." He rubbed his hand along her arm soothingly. "I can feel how much a love you, Martha."

"Good," she nodded.

"Whatever you feel like you cannot talk about, that before. Five told her you should really talk about to the one that hurt you."

Martha nodded, she'd heard that before. Five had told her the same thing on their date at the Restaurant at the End of the Universe. He told her to get it out before it ate her up." It's not that easy. It's that you that won't come around."

The Doctor smiled. "I do not like to admit when I am wrong." He nodded.

Martha took her clothes to the bathroom to dress. "I have no way of telling him, you how it made me feel if you are too chicken shit to come around." She shouted from behind the closed door.

"I don't believe I have ever said otherwise, Martha.' She heard from the other side of the door. "But that is the truth I suppose."

He was sitting on the bed when she emerged. "My goodness you are beautiful." He sighed.

"Thank you." She admired her simple black dress in the mirror.

"I see why I was so willing to bond with a human."

Martha sighed. This again. Every time she met one of them, it was as if it were a shock that he would or could lower himself to be with her. "I suppose it's as good as a compliment I am going to get out of you."

"You are not able to take a compliment."

"And you are a snob." She fired back,

He grinned again, big this time. "I suppose I am, though I'd like to think I am different from all of the others back home." He grabbed her hand and pulled her to him. "But, in any universe, in any time or place you are the most beautiful thing I have ever seen."

Despite herself, Martha melted into his touch. "Thank you."

"Where are you off to, dressed like that?" there was a twinkle in his eyes that Martha could not mistake.

"A wedding."

He drew his arms around her and brought her closer. "Alone?"

"Well, you did not want to go with."

"I would have thought I would get smarter in my old age." He smiled. "But I am never one to miss an opportunity. Let's go to a wedding."

Martha gently pushed him away. "No," she said.

The Doctor's face turned into a mask of confusion. "What?" he asked.

"No, Doctor. I am going alone."

"Well, I have listened to you complain about not having enough time with me, and now you are telling me you don't want to spend time with me?" he asked.

Martha folded her arms and leaned away from him. "You are not the man I married. N No offense."

The Doctor stood, straightened his jacket inn an all too m=familiar way and spoke. "Is it that you are a little snobbish yourself Madame?" he asked with a cocked eyebrow.

Martha was affronted, not sure how to go on. She knew what he was getting at, and chose to be the child in the conversation. "You are not the man I married, this has nothing to do with appearances, it has to do with you, and I mean the you I am bonded to."

"Really?" he asked mockingly. "Because I am the same person. After all this time together I am sure you realize that. You are starting to sound just like…"

It was Martha's turn to raise an eyebrow. "Stop right there Doctor, I don't know how you do things back home, but where I am from, it is bad form to compare wives, I mean that."

He did look contrite, and Martha was almost saddened at her response, but she meant what she said. And, yes, maybe it was because explaining him would be too hard. Her friends had met the Doctor, well, they had met the bloke she marries, a John Smith. Rather geeky sort, wore bow ties and spouted information in a way to confuse anyone stupid enough to listen longer than five minutes. This doctor was far more stern and concise. How would she explain it?

"Martha," he smiled finally as the silence threatened to consume them. "I would love to escort you to the wedding."

Martha rolled her eyes. "Sure you would." She mumbled.

"You know, it seems that you are a bit wary of being out with me." He guessed.

"Why shouldn't I be Doctor?" Martha asked "You're not him."

"Yes I am." He answered."I am him and I want to go."

She ducked her head, unable to give him a real answer. "It's not the same." She muttered. "I just want him to come around and do this sort of thing. Not the you that I don't know. And that's it isn't it? I don't know you. I know him, and I am sure you are the same person, but for me it is not the same."

"Humans.": he spat.

"Oh no you don't! Don't you dare try and throw that line at me. I am sick of hearing how this all has to do with my being human; as if that is some sort of trait specific only to me and that your kind had bred that out thousands of millennia ago. Its bollocks, sheer and simple bullshit!" She hadn't realized she was yelling,, but by the time the words had come out, Martha could not deny how much better she felt.

"Don't turn this one around Martha. It's a simple thing, either you want me to go with you or not?" he evened. The Doctor's voice never raised or lowered, and Martha was reminded of the way he spole to egomaniacal despots and megalomaniacs.

"Its not that I don't want you to go. They are just not familiar with my life as it is nw Doctor. Its easier for me to tell my friends that John Smith is out of town on business, or visiting family in the North."

The Doctor nodded then, slowly and fixed his glare upon Martha. "I don't understand this." He evened. "But I get it." With that he turned on his heel and left the room.

Martha quickly found her heels and scooted after the tall man. "Doctor!" she called down the stairs as she ran. "Wait."

But she was only in time to watch the back door slam. Martha ran through the kitchen like an Olympic torch bearer. "Doctor," she called as he walked solemnly down the back stairs.

The Doctor turned, "Martha. It's a dead subject. I understand."

"No, you don't" They stood two feet away, facing one another like gunslingers in the old west. Martha in three inch heels still could not reach the older man's shoulders. Yet, she held her shoulders storng and her head high. "I am not shallow." She defended.

"Really?" he asked again with the eyebrow.

"Really. My not wanting you to come with me has absolutely nothing to do with your appearance. This is Earth Doctor, and I don't want to lie to my friends. Its not—"

But the Doctor held up a hand and tsked her. "Martha Jones, before you cast dispersions at others, you should have a look I the mirror." He finished. The Doctor made his way across the lawn and to his TARDIS. He turned a final wave at Martha and disappeared into the ancient ship.

She huffed, angry at herself and the Doctor. Both of them. Not so much that she had lost the argument, but that he had been right. She was being a hypocrite. At some point the things that she had been feeling in this relationship had become less about she and the Doctor, and more about herself. More about what things looked like.

The wedding. She knew it was not his thing, had known that since he wore chucks. But, she still wanted him to fit into some cardboard cutout of what she wanted. It took the older Doctor to show her that, and perhaps that is why he had come. She wanted him there for her, not for them. Their relationship was far different than what she would ever have with anyone else, but then, both of them were different.

Gleep, having finished his afternoon nap, came out of the back door to join her in the garden. He had grown in the three years, and was as tall as a seven year old child now. The Doctor had told her he would begin to take on more human characteristics to mimic hers. He also warned that she would begin to mimic his as well.

"Thanks Gleep." She smiled at the purple dragon. "You always seem to show up when I need you."

He nodded and placed his head on her lap. A move that he had not done a lot lately. Like a human child, he had begun to move away from so much physical displays; Martha called it the 'terrible twos and the Doctor agreed that Gleep's development had begun to change already.

"I guess I was wrong, huh? I shoulda have him come. I do love him, all of him.' She hugged the little dragon, went in and grabbed her purse before heading to her car. The gravel driveway was long and wrapped around the side of the house. You had to cut around the side of the house to see the car. Martha made her way around to the side after promising Gleep she would be back soon.

What met her on the side surprised her and shook her.

Her car was still there, but in front of it was a yellow roadster antique. Martha approached the antique as if it was set to burst into flames at any moment.

It was beautiful, and right away she knew what it was. She had worked at UNIT long enough to know what it was. Bessie. He had left Bessie here, in the driveway. How he got it from UNIT she could only guess. The Brigadier had put it in storage for a while, and there were three known instances of it mysteriously disappearing of its own accord. They gave up trying to figure it out.

She ran her hands along the frame of the old car, and smiled. Yeah, she was definitely wrong about old things. This was perfect.

She threw her purse onto the floor of the passenger side and made her way to the driver's seat. She wanted to drive that thing so bad her hands clenched.

A note on the mirror in the Doctor's scrolling handwriting made her stop.

Martha my Dear,

Did you know I had them write that song for you? Don't believe me, its fine.

I figured this may help to grow your appreciation of old things. She is a beauty isn't she? A beautiful machine deserves a beautiful owner. Take good care of her, and don't despair if she seems to go off on her own at times, like me she will always find her way home.

She has had a few modifications, and some new ones. Just don't push the red button unless you are being chased by the….

Oh never mind, Martha _DON'T_ push the red button.

Baby steps Martha, you have to learn to crawl before you can run. Master this, and I will be back for flying lessons.

It's about trust, and this is the first step.

-Dr.

Ps—Watch out for third gear, she kicks a bit.

Martha grinned, slipped Bessie into gear and made her way to the wedding; the radio blasted Martha My Dear the entire drive up the M-5.


	14. Tenth Avenue Freeze Out

**I am so sorry this took so long, i was on vacation and had no writing bug biting. funny thing, i get home to my 'environment', have not slept for two days, and this comes out! Whaddaya know? Ten is in, hope you all enjoy it, more parts to come soon, preferably after i sleep for about a month. Blame the mistakes on Morpheus.  
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It really was a beautiful planet. Orange waves of copper based fluid lapped at lavender sand so soft you didn't need a blanket. They loved taking off for these little day trips. Just the three of them. Sometimes Martha would bring Francine, but after Francine's disastrous run in with a Judoon, it was probably best for the older woman to lay low for a while.

"Still having fun?" he asked between shovelfuls of sand.

Martha nodded and sighed. If there was such a thing as bliss, this was far from it, but close enough for a reasonable facsimile. "It's getting better." She nodded.

The Doctor continued to build an elaborate sand palace with Trevor. Two designers and no construction workers made for a hideous if not humorous mound of wet sand.

"It's nice to come out to these places and stretch out for a while—"

"…but" the Doctor finished without looking up from his work.

"You know me too well." Martha shook her head. "But, I worry that as he gets older,m what sort of fantastical tales will he tell to his classmates and teachers at primary."

The Doctor nodded but did not respond. He continued to build his elaborate cylindrical sphere next to Trevor's attempt at medieval spires.

"It's not as if I think we should stop for a while…" Martha said.

"But," The Doctor repeated, this time looking at his wife expectantly.

Martha knew that look, it was his Deer in Floodlights Against the Wall look. She had seen that look only once before. Trevor was two now, and true to his word, the Doctor had made a valiant effort to keep nearer to home more. Only just.

"Its not as if I expect you to stop your trips." She said.

"Trips? Trips? Is that what you call them?" he huffed. "I thought we were bonding. Bonding is good, right Trev?" he leaned over and tickled the golden skinned boy on his bare tummy.

"Binding is grrrrreat!" the small boy added. He had hit a Tony the tiger phase, despite Martha's efforts to keep him from both television and sugar, Trevor had managed to discover both and decided that they were grrrreat, along with everything else.

Martha smiled down at the two, deciding that this was neither the time nor place to have this discussion. Martha had decided to broach the subject of ending Trevor's exposure to the fantastic.

They stayed for a time. "We should bring Amy Rory and Will next time." The Doctor gleamed as they made their way to the ship. "Will would go mad for this place. By mad, I mean he would love it, not actually go mad, just mad. As in—" The Doctor stopped and turned to his wife as they settled into the console room. Usually she smiled at his wild tangents, she was a great audience, but there was a darkness lurking behind her amber eyes today. "Martha,' he asked slowly.

"Later." She nodded.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Martha had a sturdy revelation at some point between Trevor's birth and now. Knowing the future does not necessarily make things any easier. In fact, it is more of a headache. She had found that she loved the image of the future she had been privy to, and worried constantly that some event would happen to change it. Not to mention the regeneration lurking somewhere within the next linear earth year. Martha tried not to think about it, but the knowledge of her husband's death was beginning to keep her up at night more than Trevor's early days.

He had noticed, had sensed something was going on with her. Martha could tell he seemed to tiptoe around her more, and tried to make it home when he said he would be.

Tried, mostly anyway.

Martha watched him worry the controls and sigh heavily. "You say later, but there is this ice thingy, and I don't like it." He muttered.

"Ice thingy?" she smirked with an elevated eyebrow.

"Ice thingy," he waved away. "You know, things are all cold and weird, and Martha I don't like ice, and I don't like weird. Well, I do like weird, but I don't like weird icy thingies."

Martha only continued to smirk.

"Oh all right, I just don't like weird icy thingies between us. What is going on?" he asked.

Martha turned to take the now sleeping two year old to his room. Just as she had seen it, the room had an open ceiling that showed every star in the visible sky, or the vortex. The scene moved as the baby slept, and it seemed to soothe him. They once turned it off thinking it would disturb his sleep, only to have him awaken terrified pointing at his ceiling.

In the hallway outside of his room, Martha placed her arms around her husband. "There is no weird ice thingy here." She said. "I have only been thinking about things."

The Doctor nodded as if he had expected this. "When you say you have been thinking, it is a little worrim=some, well it's a lot worrisome and it often ends badly for one or both of us.'

"No, dear, that is your thinking that leads to danger.' She fired.

"Hah!" he wagged his finger at her playfully. "Shows what you know, I have not had a thought in years.' He grinned.

"I believe it." Martha said.

The easy smiles faded on both their faces as they moved to lean on opposing sides of the corridor. Martha with her arms folded, and the Doctor doing a grand impression of what happens when ants do get in one's pants. "It's about the trips isn't it?" he asked.

"No. Yes. No, well sorta.' She shook her head. "He is a very bright boy,m I don't know if this is such a good idea. He will, at some point start school."

"And?" The Doctor asked, still fidgeting from one foot to the other.

"Am I keeping you from something?" Martha asked, only mildy annoyed.

"No, what?" the Doctor looked down at his still moving feet, a smile broke across his handsome face. "Ah, yes well. Guess you caught me out."

"Don't I always?" she asked. "What, some evil despot somewhere is threatening to obscond with the universes supply of jammy dodgers?"

A look of sheer horror melted across the Doctor's face. "Oh, don't ever joke about that!" he sighed. "No I have to meet with the Shadow Proclamation." He sniffed.

Martha tilted her head in surprise. "Really, anything serious?" she asked genuinely concerned.

The Doctor started the fidgeting thing again. "It's about my status, or rather Trevor's status…" his feet were now going faster than his hips, creating a hypnotic near cataclysmic rhytm.

"Trevor's status?" she asked. "I don't understand.'

"I am no longer the last of my kind Martha, or at least they think so. Anyway, I want to make sure that Trevor isn't misclassified as something they need to study. I would rather they have him down as pure Time Lord, or something. I don't want them to find out about his…uniqueness.' He stammered.

Martha nodded and looked past him. "Right, I know we talked about that before.

They had, soon after Trevor's birth; it was a five hour conversation. If the Shadow Proclamation got a whiff of Trevor being a hybrid of Human, Time Lord, and whatever Martha was now, it could have devastating consequences. The Proclamation was concerned about one person having that much ability in their gene pool.

"They tried to commandeer the TARDIS before." He nodded.

She tipped her head and smiled. "Thank you for keeping him safe."

The Doctor breached the physical gap between them and took her face in her hands. "Never, ever thank me for looking after you or our son." He spoke thickly, edged in a darkness that nearly scared her.

"Yeah," she nodded wetly. "yeah."

He took her into his arms and kissed her gently and took her hand. "Come on.' He smiled suddenly, dark edges faded instantly into something richer, sweeter. "Come and show me how much you are going to miss me." He waggled his eyebrows and threw her over his shoulder.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A week later he had still not come back. "It's a bloody time Machine." She muttered often enough that Francine opted for a week visit to a friend's in Spain.

"But mum,' Martha whined. "It's so far out in the country…"

Francine smiled at her daughter as she loaded her bags into her sensible car. "Just take him to the park, Martha. Walk him around the grounds. Take him to the zoo."

"Oh no," Martha insisted with a wild shake of her head. "Not since that incident with the Morgon Zoo on Tzyllad." She shook her head, but a faint smile tugged at the corners of her mouth with a memory of running, lots of running.

"Sometimes I swear the two of you are speaking in an alien tongue.' Francine started her car and waved good bye to Martha and Trevor.

Martha snuggled her son closer and sniffed his hair. "Yuck." She frowned. "You need a bath.'

"No bath, Mum.' He shook his head fiercely. "Want to play with Gleep."

"Bath, Trev. Then you can torment Gleep all you want. Better him than me."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The bath killed an entire hour. By the time he was clean, Martha felt as if she needed one herself, or at least a run through a car wash. On second thought, she smiled to herself. I should have donwe that to him. Would have been less mess.

She left him in his large play room on the first floor, placed Gleep in the room with him and gated the room. Gleep could fly, and Martha thanked every star in the universe that that was one thing Trevor could not do.

"Just twenty minutes Gleep, yeah?" she asked the dragon who offered her a why me look as she erected the baby safe gate.

Gleep seemed to understand and sat dutifully with Trevor. "You gonna let me ride you Gleep?" the little boy asked. Gleep shook his head and the twenty minutes of Gleep keep away commenced.

Secure that there would be no danger to her son, Martha stepped into the hot shower and let the water hit her tired body.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was ten minutes later that Martha placed her robed body onto the bed and turned on the monitor. Trevor seemed to be laughing merrily at something, Probably trying to get a ride on Gleep, Martha shrugged to herself.

But the voice on the other end of the conversation was so familiar that Martha felt her ston=mach hit her feet.

"Well, you are a marvelous thing aren't you? Blimey you are good at that!" The Doctor praised. "You know, I could never master any of those blocks when I was a tot. Kept knocking them down. Course, that was the fun, wasn't it?"

Martha froze, not sure what to do or how to proceed. She did not want to face him, nor did she want to have an awkward meet up with Trevor and the man in the play room. None of the others had come to see Trevor like this. They all came to the door, stayed for dinner, and pretended to be a family friend. For a two year old with an over active imagination, though admittedly mostly not so imagined, the Doctors who came wanted to maintain as much normalcy for Trevor as possible. They often came with gifts, spent way too long with him, and insisted they call them John.

Of course this one would be different.

"But you are a marvelous and smart little man aren't you? OO ! Legos! O I love a good build up! Want to give it a try Trev? See if we can't recreate the singing Towers of Darillium."

"Legos don't sing." She heard Trevor insist.

"Oh a little sonic in 'em and I bet they can perform La Bohem!" The Doctor answered. Martha could feel the enthusiasm in his voice, and knew it was driving Trevor to play harder.

"That's right, Doctor.' She yawned. "Wear him out for me. You at least owe me that."

Martha sat and listened to the conversation. Trevor asked a lot of questions, and talked endlessly, but it seemed that he had met his verbal match. They carried on conversations in rapid fire succession. After ten minutes of lying still and listening to the baby monitor, Martha began to relax. She felt even more secure when Gleep entered the room soon after.

"It's all right then Gleep," Martha assured Gleep. "It's like…visitation rights. I suppose he is still a little sore that I am not blonde and named Rose."

Gleep curled up next to her as they both listened to the Doctor telling an animated story to Trevor. She imagined this was good for him, to see that there was something to look forward to in his future. She was not sure from when he had come, had he met her on the moon yet? Had he just lost Rose and the TARDIS brought him here for his consolation prize?

Martha listened as the once animated story became softer, gentler. The Doctor's voice had always been melodic, but as he spoke to Trevor in dulcet tones, Martha found herself and Gleep lulling into a peaceful sleep.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

She awoke in that weird haze you come out of when you fall asleep accidently in the middle of the day. The monitor was quiet and Martha was glad to find him asleep. She only hoped that the Doctor took Trevor's slumber as his cue to vacate the premises, she was in no mood to deal with rehashing the old hurts today, but something inside of her told her it was inevitable.

Martha dressed quickly and made her way downstairs to check on Trevor. Finding the rooms downstairs empty, her joy at the Doctor's departure was snuffed when she found both the playroom and Trevor's bed empty.

"Oh," she mouthed, not sure of how to proceed. Martha ran out into the garden calling for both Trevor and the Doctor.

Neither one answered, and there was no TARDIS in sight.


	15. Tenth Avenue Freeze Out II

**I know i say this a lot but i am completely blown away by you guys. your words, thoughts and threats have made this chapter a pleasure to write. I only hope it meets with your approval. this one may take a while, i think these two have a lot to say **

"Come home now." Se called through the phone, surprised at the calm in her voice.

The line on the other side buzzed and popped as if the receiver had just picked up. "Martha?" the Doctor asked in a tone she could tell was both perplexed and distracted.

Martha shook her head as if he could see. "It's important Doctor. Please, I need you to come home now."

"What is it? What's wrong?" He asked hurriedly.

As she opened her mouth to answer, the whooshing familiarity of materialization stopped her reply. He stepped out of the TARDIS quickly, reaching into his jacket for his screwdriver, the other hand still on the phone. "Martha he called both through the phone and to her.

She disconnected the call and ran to his side. "Trevor's gone,."

The look on her husband's face was one of sheer anger. She had only seen him that angry once, and he wore a different face then. "Gone," he spoke calmly. "Where?"

She was calm, perhaps far too calm for her own liking. She wanted to be hysterical, but that would solve nothing. And, in the back of her mind she realized that on some level Trevor was fine, he would not hurt him. In truth, he was with his father. "You took him."

The Doctor whipped his head around the yard as if he would find another version of himself hiding somewhere. "Which me?" he asked sternly. "Which me am I going to be responsible for killing?"

She smiled a little, shook her head. "I want to worry more, but he is with you. The worrisome part that led me to call you home was which you that took him."

"Oh," he nodded. The two of them made their way into the console room of the TARDIS, neither one sure of the situation, but both anxious to get Trevor home.

"You don't remember any of this?" Martha asked as the Doctor sat on the seat next to her.

The Doctor ran his hands through his already unruly hair. "It doesn't always work like that. You know that Martha."

She nodded back, knowing that their lives were a ass of confusion at most times. "I really would love to know what he; you were thinking to take him without telling me."

"I was a lonely, sad, angry man then." He asserted. "Losing my home, Rose," the Doctor nodded again and looked away from her. "You." He whispered.

Martha reached over and took her hand in his. "he would not hurt him though, there is that."

Hazel eyes turned to her. "He is me Martha. I would never hurt Trevor. Ever. You have to know that."

Holding his hand in the humming TARDIS, Martha wondered if those words weren't spoken for his own reassurances. "I know that." She soothed. "Any other you, and I would have not called. I would have yelled when you returned."

"And probably caused a few regenerations." He smiled back.

Time seemed to ebb and flow around them. Neither one was sure what to do next, they instead offered silent comfort to each other. "I don't think I would have gone far/" He spoke finally. "I think I would have taken him for a day trip. Maybe to see the-"

"The singing Towers of Dillurim!" Martha finished brightly. "It's what he was talking to Trevor about. Said that they were going to build a tower of legos."

"Oh I love legos!" The Doctor sang as he jumped from the seat. He moved around the console setting coordinates. "And I know when I would have gone."

Martha leapt to stand close to him, "How do you know?" She asked.

'It's not that I 'know,' it's a guess Martha." He smiled finally still turning knobs and twisting dials. "Call it an educated guess, though I don't see where education would have to do with any of this. Education? Did I say that. Well, if it makes you feel better it's an educated guess. I mean, who knows me better than me?"

Martha folded her arms and gave him a look.

"All right!" he nodded back at her. "Besides you. I know me, and I know where I would have taken my son if I had one at the time. Well, if I had a son and we were playing legos. Well, if I had a son, we were playing legos and I wanted to show him the singing towers." He stopped suddenly, examining the smile that crept over his wife's face. "What?" he asked.

Martha shook her head and smiled bigger. "Nothing." She managed.

But he would not be placated. "No, what?" he asked again.

"It's just that, you are babbling."

"Babbling? I do not babble Martha Jones." The Doctor asserted.

"No, Doctor, it's ok. In fact it's good. I like babbling, well I like when you babble. It's safe, comforting. It's like I know that everything is going to be ok." She clarified.

"Of course everything is going to be ok. Why wouldn't it be ok?" he grinned back at her. The Doctor placed his hands on her shoulders as they stood in front of the console. "Martha, look at me."

She turned red rimmed eyes to him, suddenly overcome with the emotions she had been fighting for the last hour.

"I will find him. It's not difficult to think like myself. I promise you will have our son back in your arms very soon. Do you trust me?" he whispered.

"Of course I do." He brought her close to him; Martha could smell the old engines on his tweed jacket. She inhaled his scent and reveled in his being so close, so focused on only her.

"Now, the funny thing about the towers that sing." He began as if the emotional moment between them never happened.

"There is a funny thing about them?" Martha answered, mimicking the light tone.

He smiled back at her from his post. "The funny thing is, those towers have a one point singularity where they sing. It isn't a constant thing. They sing for a day. That's it. So when you go, it has to be on a particular day in that time stream."

"Wait I don't get it." Martha admitted.

"The towers sing for one day, it's the same date. The towers don't always sing, ther are only certain dates that I could have gone."

"If that is where you went." Martha nodded.

He returned her doubt with a glare. "Martha, give me some credit for knowing myself. And you know how I love to show off. "

"Good point." She nodded.

He took her hand and squeezed before running to the other side of the console. "Now, let's go get our son."

* * *

><p>It truly was beautiful. The twelve towers stood in a ring on a high plain of rose colored grass. The thirteen hills of Mull stood around them, creating a cloistered feel. Martha turned around and around, both looking for signs of Trevor, and admiring the view. The music coming from the towers had an ethereal melodic tone, they were neither to soft nor too loud, pleasant nor unpleasant. The music reminded her of that odd clever music of the Romany.<p>

"He's here." The Doctor asserted with a nod. "I can feel them."

"Them?" Martha asked.

The Doctor nodded. Yes, I feel him. He has enough Gallifreyian in him that I know when he is nearby."

Martha nodded, not surprised that he never mentioned it before. And understanding all the nights in his early infancy when the Doctor awoke before her to see to the baby.

They walked a bit from the TARDIS; the Doctor seemed to follow that odd sense of knowledge, while Martha merely followed him. He stopped suddenly and turned to her. "They are just over there." He pointed. "I am sure I am expecting us."

Martha shrugged but stopped with him. "I have to go alone, don't i?" she understood.

He nodded and took her hand. "I know it's the last thing you wanted to do, but its dangerous to be in the same place, you know that."

Martha nodded, but sighed resolutely. "This may be a while."

The Doctor pulled her into his arms. "I know, but if I am right about the time line, its going to be a little tetchy for me."

"Tell me," Martha said. "So I know what I am dealing with."

An exasperated sigh escaped his lips, but he spoke anyway. "I had just lost Donna." He nodded. "If I am right, I am dealing with intense grief and feelings of abandonment."

"Oh," Martha held onto her own arms and shuddered remembering his retelling of what happened to his best friend. "And I have to take someone else away from you."

The Doctor nodded. "Yes, but you must remind me of things, Martha. I think I will listen. Be patient, but don't fall into my psychosis."

"Psychosis?" she asked.

"Martha, down there, that is still me. If I am right, I need someone, and right now, I have no one. You were told before that TARDIS brings them to you when they need you. Right now, I need you."

"I can't. Any other one of you and nothing would stop me from getting there. Even that loud prig. But not him, please." She pled.

"Yes Martha. Him. This is being with me, accepting all of me. Every single intolerable pain in the ass that I am. I need you now." He nodded toward the Doctor in the distance.

"I can't." she shook her head. "I just want to get Trev and go home. Please."

But he took her by the shoulders and pointed her toward the figures in the center of the group of towers. "Time, Martha, you have to go before he bolts."

She nodded and turned back to look at him. "I love you." He reassured her. "Even like that, I love you. Make me see that." He nodded, and with a gentle shove she was on her way.

The thirteen towers were taller than she had originally thought, and Martha could see the other TARDIS parked a fair distance from the center, nearly the exact opposite from the one she arrived in. The Doctor held Trevor and just under the melody, she could hear a conversation being carried on between the two.

"Well, Trevor," she heard when she was only a few feet behind them. "Looks like our trip is over."

Trevor's head whipped around to face Martha. "Mummy!" he clapped happily.

Martha reached out her arms for her son. It was an eternity in an instant as Trevor reached his hands out for her, and Martha wondered if the Doctor would allow him to go.

"Doctor," she tried calmly, but came out in a near choked sob.

"You act as if you are afraid of me Martha." He sniffed still holding Trevor.

"I just want to get my son home." She spoke as clearly and calmly as she could, but Martha still feared her words came out edged in fear and hostility.

"Bit of a wrong pronoun there, isn't it?" The Doctor grinned.

"Doctor, please." She pled as Trevor attempted to wriggle free.

"Oh, Of course." The Doctor knelt down and placed the child upon his feet. "Now, we had fun, didn't we Trev?" he asked with a big grin.

Trevor nodded his head enthusiastically. "Yes we did, Ghytravi"

"Good, and you pronounced that perfectly." He smiled big again. "Now remember, the Helmic regulator is nothing to toy with, right?"

Trevor shook his head and began to wriggle from foot to foot. "Yes." He agreed.

The Doctor hugged the little boy, a little too long, before finally releasing him. "I love you," he said to him before letting him go. "Don't forget that."

Trevor ran to his mother and allowed her to pull him into a fierce hug. "Trevor." She spoke. "Your father is waiting right over there. " Martha pointed to the other side of the towers. "See him?"

Trevor nodded quickly "yes!"

Martha set him upon his feet and knelt to speak to him. "I want you to go over there to him. Directly, do not stop, do you understand?"

Trevor lip trembled and his thumb twitched in his mouth. "Are you mad at me Mummy?" he asked in a small voice.

Martha hugged him tightly, "no sweetheart, why would I be mad at you?"

Trevor looked back to the Doctor in the blue suit. "Ghytravi said you might be mad we went for a little trip. He wanted to show me how the towers really looked so that we could build them the right way." He sniffed.

Little boys were always worried about upsetting their mum, it was a universal invariant. "No, Trevor. But we will talk, ok? For now I want you to be a big boy and do as Mum says. All right?"

Trevor's face seemed to lighten a little as he nodded and waved to the Doctor. "Bye!" he shouted before setting off onto an all out run toward his father.

Both adults watched until the boy was safely in his father's arms and they waved to the two in the center of the towers.

"Well, look at that." The Doctor spoke in a pompous tone. "Why would I wear a bow tie, those things are awful. I look like a hipster."

Martha turned to face the man next to her. "Do you have any idea of how badly I want to introduce you to that incarnation right now?"

"I can imagine." He shrugged as if it did not matter a bit to him. The nonchalance in the man's cadence only fed Martha's ire.

"At what point was it a good idea to steal a child from its mother?" she asked.

"Steal?" he guffawed. "Can't steal what is rightfully yours." He shrugged again.

"He is not yours, at least not yet." Martha fired. "You had no right."

"I have more right than you know. Back home I could have taken him and you would never see him again."

"You are really starting to tread upon dangerous ground Doctor." Martha warned. "And what the hell was that word that Trevor called you?"

"It has no real translation into English, or most languages I'm afraid." He answered.

"So what does it mean?" she asked slowly as if talking to Trevor again.

The Doctor scratched the back of his neck in that oddly familiar manner she had grown accustomed to from both of them. "It's a word for father in Gallifreyian. But the word is used when you meet the other version of your father." He smiled.

"Did you tell him that?" she asked hooking a thumb back toward the direction of Trevor.

"Of course I did, why wouldn't i?" he asked.

Martha came in close to him, no longer afraid of any oncoming storms. "I don't care what you have been through, you and I need to have a long conversation that has been a long time coming."

"Now?" he squeaked.

"Now." She asserted, reveling in having made him squirm. "There is a lot between us that needs to be said."


	16. Tenth Avenue Freeze Out III

**You, my faithful readers and reviewers, continue to both amaze and astound me. thank you is not enough, so in gratitude i offer this chapter. Its a start to what i am sure is going to be a long one with Martha and Ten getting some things hashed out.**

They stood examining each other in the fading light of Dillurium. The towers sang in their melodic tones as the two looked for something in each others eyes.

"You want to talk?" he asked, hands in pockets, rocking on the balls of his feet.

"You need to talk." Martha nodded.

The Doctor in front of her said nothing, nodded back at her and made to look at something in the distance.

Martha continued to study him. So different from the man she loved, yet so similarly flawed. All that guilt, it was a wonder he could even hold his shoulders square with all those civilizations resting upon them. "I am not going anywhere until you and I hash this out." She added finally.

"Then come with me." He spoke evenly.

"Oh, really?" Martha folded her arms and raised an eyebrow. "you want me to come with you?" she asked.

The Doctor rocked back on his heels and smiled. "Yup."

Martha shook her head in disbelief. "I have a family to take care of Doctor. I have a young son who—"

"We, Martha." He spoke coolly. "We have a son."

She wanted to smack the smug look off of his face. She wanted to gouge out those beautiful eyes and wear them as trophy earrings. She wanted to do a lot of things to the man in front of her, none of which involved going on anything he would claim as an adventure.

Besides, killing him here now may preclude her having the life she had now.

Martha looked back at her husband and son. They waved again, the Doctor made a gesture with his hand and Martha reached for her phone. "Hold on," she told the man in front of her and moved away from his intense glare.

"It's not like anything you say to him you are saying to me." He sneered. "In fact, you are saying it to me, aren't you? Blimey that is confusing."

Martha ignored him as she dialed the number for her own saner Doctor. "Hey," she started. "How is he?"

"He's fine, Martha. A little tired if anything. I think he missed his nap;."

Martha smiled and threw another wave to the two on the hill. "I have a bit of a situation."

"Wants to take you on a little trip do I?" The Doctor asked.

"I don't think it's a good idea. "

"He's lonely Martha. He needs you right now."

"And Trevor needs me." She said.

"Hey, what am i? Chopped liver. Wait. Don't answer that, there was that one time on Farset ab Frellion, but we got the whole thing straightened out. Did you know that chopped liver can be a useful part of a—"

"You're doing it again." Martha laughed.

"Doing what?"

"Babbling."

A huff of indignation sailed across the distance. "I do not babble!" the Doctor sinsisted.

"Course I babble." The other Doctor interjected suddenly. "I talk, I am a talker. Its what I do best."

Martha flashed him a deadly look before returning to her conversation. "I don't know if I should go…"

"You should. Trevor is fine. I have him."

"No trips Doctor." Martha warned as she realized she had already acquiesced to the idea of a manic ride.

"No, no of course not. He has had a full day already. Haven't you Trev?"

"There, you see. No problem. We are going to pop back home and have a nice quiet night with Francine."

Martha could only guess her son was either asleep or nodded into the phone. "Mum went to Spain for the week."

"Even better!" The Doctor said all too fast. "I can assume that I will bring you back home when I am done with you."

"Of course." The other Doctor smirked. "When I am done with her."

"Doctor," Martha whispered. "Please tell me this is a good idea."

"This is a good idea." They both answered.

Martha shook her head. "I love you." She whispered as quietly as possible.

"I love you too." Her husband answered. He emphasized his point with an animated wave as he and Trevor entered the TARDIS on the other side of the field.

"Oh isn't that sweet!" the other Doctor mocked.

Martha disconnected the call and turned on the man at her side. "You are really asking for it, do you know that?"

Grinning big, he took Martha by the arm and began running for his TARDIS. "We are going to have so much fun Martha!" he practically squealed as they ran.

"And talk.' She amended between pants.

"Sure sure sure. Talk talk talk. Its what I do, I am good at it.

When they averted the TARDIS, Martha hung back taking in the old look. The one that she was first introduced to. "It's like coming home, isn't it?" he asked from the console, not even turning to look at her.

"Not really." She admitted. "More like visiting your old school long after you've graduated."

He flashed her a sidelong smirk before going on. "Well then Martha, welcome to your school reunion. Wait trash that. School reunions are never a good thing. In fact I remember crashing a few."

"What haven't you crashed?" she asked with a smirk.

"Never crashed Bessie." He added. "Well, at least not intentionally. Ok. Bad example."

The Doctor sniffed but said nothing. Martha watched as he plodded in coordinates. "What, no playing our old game?" she asked smartly.

"I think we have played enough games Martha, you and i." he sighed. "I just want to take you somewhere nice so we can talk."

"Talk," she nodded. Still placating the man she was not sure was altogether there.

He turned to face her, adjusted his tie a little and made a boorish sniff. "Got you in here, didn't i?" he amended.

She refused to speak to him after that, opting instead for the jump seat, Martha coolly made herself comfortable and crossed her legs. The Doctor eyes her with a suspicious glare. "I am having a hard time reading you. Now." He noted.

Shrugging, Martha simply folded herself into the seat.

But the Doctor was never one to be ignored. "In fact, there seems to be this weird thing with us here. I mean, I rather liked it when you were in awe of me and the things I could do."

"Not so fancy the show once you have a backstage pass." Martha tossed.

"You're different" he said.

Martha's first instinct was to run to him, to comfort him. It was in her nature to care for the man, no matter what face he wore. But the abject cruelty she bore at his mercy. It was too much. She was not ashamed at the part of her that reveled in his sadness. His accusations of her evolutionof character was right on point, but she knew it was all for the better. The 25 year old that once met a man in Royal Hope hospital was long put to rest. "I am different." She admitted finally. "For the better."

"Well," he shifted in front of the console. "Must be all of that great sex.' He sneered.

She raised her and to stave off both any further snide comments from him, as well as her own sense of growing distaste. "This conversation can end right now." She warned.

"Its, nothing Martha. I just, sort of expected to see that same bright eyes medical student. Was looking forward to it actually." He looked off into the distance as if that same slip of a girl was going to come running to him and scrape at his feet.

"No," she pointed. "You wanted me to come and fall all over you. Is that what Rose did? Is that what they _all_ do? They are shown a world, no a _universe_ of unimaginable fantasticism, only to find that at the helm, is a far more wondrous creature, full of universes."

"You _are_ different." He said meekly.

But, Martha was on a tear, and one thing she had learned form the man in the bow tie, was to let a tear have its run. Cathartic it was, and so good for cleansing of the soul. "Then you drop them back down to Earth. Strand them to an existence of the average and the mundane. You act all surprised when they fall in love with you, but in truth that is what you want, isn't it?"

"Can't blame me for being a little lonely?" he tried, but it was more pathetic than defensive.

"Can't I?" she railed. "I was the one to take care of you. Not once, but twice. More than that,. Really. But lets focus on the two times that I held your life in my hands. Did I ever let you down?"

No." The Doctor admitted.

"no, can you say the same for your precious Rose? You made me feel so inadequate, so lacking in what you wanted, or needed. I redoubled my efforts every single time to please you, and for what?"

"Kept me alive." He inserted.

"Yeah, I kept you alive, didn't do much for me, did it? I was the one helping you, there for you. Meanwhile, your golden Star was unmaking reality just to get back to you."

"And all she got was a copy of me. Look who got the real thing."

Martha sat a long time, allowing the silence to swallow the two of them. "I didn't ask for you, you know."

"It was inevitable Martha. As much as I tried to fight it, you and I were as indellibleas the stars. You are a different person, and I would like to think that I, or a version of me, had something to do with tha."

"Is this how this conversation is going to go with us?" She asked "You making notations observations and accusations, me explaining again that I am not the same Martha Jones you left behind?"

"You left me." He said.

Martha nodded. "I did. Do you blame me?" she had raised forward a little, mostly to watch him. It was hard for her to reconcile that this was the same man who crept into her bed mosts nights. The same man who offered Trevor pony rides on his back; and rides of a completely different sort for her.

"You're blushing." He noted with a smirk.

"Don't worry, Doctor, yours is not the face I am thinking about."

He sniffed audibly as the TARDIS came to rest with a soft bump.

"Here we are then!" he exclaimed with a sudden mirth and ardor that nearly scared her.

Martha didn't rise from her seat, merely eyed him with a sense of tired dread.

"You aren't curious where we've landed?" he asked more than a little put off .

Martha shook her head. "This had better not be dangerous Doctor." She warned as she made her way to the doors.

"Martha! You wound me! I told you, we were going to go somewhere nice and quiet to talk. Somewhere without any interruptions."

"No explosions?" she asked as they stood in front of the doors.

"No explosions, or bombs, or alien insurrections. Martha, I promised you a nice quiet place for us to talk." He leaned over to the doors and through them open wide. "And most definitely no—"

They were met with a host of weapons pointed at them. There had to be at least a thousand purple haired creatures holding a multitude of weaponry aimed at the two. "…guns?" he finished.

"Never a dull moment with you is it Doctor?" she asked, raising her hands.

"Oh, you know me Martha. I may be a cheap date, but at least I am an interesting one."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I want it know for the record, this time we landed in jail and it is not my fault." He asserted as he paced a circle in their posh cell.

"Well, technically…" Martha hemmed.

"As you tend to point out,, I am not the man you are married to. Ergo, this has nothing to do with me."

Martha folded her arms and shook her head. "Of course not. They want Trevor, not you. You had nothing to do with Trevor's conception.'

"Exactly!" he stopped, finger raised in assertion. It was as if a light had physically come on over his head when he finally got the sarcasm in Martha's voice. "Oh I see." He nodded.

Martha was too busy worrying about her son to even care what the Doctor was on about. The Berruleans had decided they needed Trevor to win a war they had been waging with their neighbors over fishing rights. "I don't see how my son has anything to do with Agriculture on a small planet hundreds of years in my personal future."

The Doctor turned to her and gave her a look of absolute sadness. "But that is what it is Martha. That is my life. They want Trevor because of me. And you. He is a unique little boy."

"That doesn't make me feel any better Doctor." She huffed.

"But, Martha. You have to understand, this is what the consequences are. All of time and space, word gets around." He came to her on the small bench and sat beside her. "This is what I was trying to avoid."

She turned on him and leaned away from his intense gaze of guilt. "What do you mean, this is what you were trying to avoid?"

He sighed before speaking. "When I met you. The first time I met you. I knew. I just knew you had this intense connection to me. That could only have been one thing." He shrugged.

"So, what, you are saying you tried to run me off."

"I did, didn't I?" he offered her a sad half smile. "I knew that to drag you into this." He threw his hands in the arms encompassing the situation. "That, at the very least, it would be bad for you. I never imagined there would be others thrown into it too."

"That, in no way excuses any of your behaviors toward me in the time that we travelled together." Martha said, wondering if this was the time to have this talk, locked in a cell on an alien planet for who knew how long.

But, he was insistent, "It does, doesn't it? I even tried to use Rose to keep you at bay. There are few things I can do to keep those I love safe Martha. For you, it was distance."

There was little she could say. He had both admitted his feelings for her, and his absolute fault in the way he had treated her for so long. She was both disgusted and relieved al at the same time. "So, wait a tic, you knew who I was from the beginning?"

The Doctor offered a small choking sound. "What, Mr. wonderful hasn't explained everything to you yet?"

"Don't be so cruel, Doctor, after all, he is you." She defended.

"Oh, yeah he is me all right. I wonder how the universe figured he would be the one designated to have you."

"You all have me." She shouted. "And, anyway, you just said, no admitted you treated me like crap to keep us apart."

Fingers held the small points of his large brown eyes. :No, Martha. That is not what I said. I held you at bay because that is how it worked. I wasn't the one that was to have you. I wanted to keep you safe, which meant adhering to the time line."

Martha rose quickly and began her turn at pacing. "This is all bullshit." She spat.

"Call it what you want, you know it's the truth."


	17. Tenth Avenue Freeze Out IV

**Thanks again all you are all fantastic. hope this keeps ya going til i get rid of the writer's block  
><strong>

She wrung her hands as they sat together on the plush bench. "I;; say one thing for our captors." He started conversationally.

"Only one?" she parried.

He offered her one of his typical 'I'm on a tear' looks before continuing his tear. "They do now how to put up prisoners. Do you know that this planet has some of the best cells in the universe?"

"I've no doubt you are an expert on that."

"I could write a book," he scuffed. The Doctor idly scratched the back of his neck. "I wouldn't worry too much about this lot, Martha. They are unorganized and too busy fishing to really be any danger to Trevor."

Martha nodded, swallowed the lump that had begun forming in her throat. "He'll keep him safe." She assured herself.

"Course I will." He nodded.

It was enough. The inclusionary nature of his references to her son were beginning to raise the bile in her throat. "Please don't do that." She asked quietly.

He turned to look at her, but Martha refused to acknowledge his attentions. "Why is it so difficult for you to understand I am the same man?" he asked .

"It's not." She admitted with a shake of her head. "It's harder trying to keep the two of you separate."

He turned to her again, his hand touching her own. "We're not, Martha. I remember." He pointed a long slender finger to his head. "I remember everything. The library, the talk about being around more. I remember taking you to the end of the universe."

"Twice, apparently."

The Doctor smiled. "That was just a side show, Martha. A freak of singularity. I wanted to take you somewhere nice."

"Like Farringham." She accused.

His demeanor changed then. The tenderness that had seeped through his previous words, was erased by something, something she had never seen on the face of any of the others.

She saw shame.

"900 years," he scoffed. "Countless scores of planets and universes, you'd think I would have known better than to put you in that situation. It was an accident."

"Is that an apology?" she asked unscathed by his deposition.

"No," he shook his head. "This is." The Doctor got down upon the floor face first at her feet and raised his head a bit. "I am the lowest of the low to have treated you in that manner. That part of earth history is dirty and disgusting, and vile. I have should have known better. I am sorry. So, so sorry you had to go through that."

She smiled for the first time since being thrown into the odd cell. "Oh, get up. You know very well that I know it was unintentional." She was still angry, but his actions reminded her of when he wore a different face, and made her breakfast.

He jumped up quick then, fast enough to startle her. "Well, I really don't know what I have told you, or will tell you. Blimey these human pronouns are hard." He scratched his neck again.

"Still got some apologizing to do." She offered. "And a bunch of your classic 'I'm so, so, sorry' is not going to change a year of absolute hell."

He nodded. "I know," the Doctor began to pace back and forth. "I never meant to make you feel like second best, Martha. When I met you, it was a really odd time in my life."

"So I've gathered." She nodded.

"No, really I loved Rose in a way that I knew I could never have her. I had a woman that I absolutely would have wanted to spend forever with."

Martha knew this, knew it from her own husband's words. "I understand that," she nodded. "You resented me. Didn't you?"

"More than you will ever understand. I am not just bound to this body, to this face. I am bound to the feelings and memories, and futures of all my other 'me's."

"bullshit." She stood quickly and faced him. "That is all a load of crap. Why can't you just admit that the entire time we were together you were a complete shit to me."

"I wasn't." he sniffed. "I did my best to take you on an adventure."

A little chuff of air made the foulest sound from Martha's gritted teeth. "You made me feel like less of a person."

"I made you a better person." He insisted.

"No offense, Doctor. And I mean this in the kindest way possible, your better did little for me."

He nodded. "Rule number one, the Doctor lies."

"No shit."

"Still," he sniffed, reminding Martha of John Smith. "I wasn't all that bad."

"Yes you were." She insisted."Telling me half the time I was only along for one ride, constantly comparing me to your precious Rose." She sneered. "I can't believe you are the same man I love."

He recoiled as if she had slapped him. "Fair enough, but you are no Rose Tyler." He sneered to equal hers.

"Well thank GOD for that." She threw her hands in the air in defeat. "I am glad to not be her. You know, you probably don't remember this,, but I went to visit the other side, went and saw the recompense of your perfect Rose."

The Doctor stopped his pacing. He stood with his hand in his pocket, the other clenched into a fist. For a moment she wondered if he would hit her. "I don't believe you."

"Think back Doctor, you had blond hair, curly. Wore a garish outfit. Wait, scratch that, that does not narrow it down enough."

"I was hideous to you then." He spoke slowly.

"Only at first, but you conditioned me to not care so much; to know what to expect from the man inside the blue box."

"I remember taking you and making you tea."

Martha laughed. "You made yourself tea, and then sat on your pompous ass."

He ducked his head to hide a smirk. "I didn't know where I was taking you."

"And I probably shouldn't mention it. But, suffice to say, Rose and your double, didn't last."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better, or worse?" he asked.

"Your call." Martha shrugged, growing tired of their verbal sparring. "Can't we just sit here and wait for our impending doom? I am getting to the point where talking to you is only making my headache worse."

He was quiet for a while, Martha was agitated at his refusal to sit, he just stood on the opposite side of the room, playing with his sonic. She was enjoying the silence she knew was fleeting. He opened his mouth finally in his usual habit of topic shift.

"Did you ever get that compensation?"

Her face became a mask of confused bemusement."I'm sorry, what?"

He jiggled close to her proximity, reading something on his sonic. "Compensation, for the thing on the moon. They gave you compensation for misclassifying you as alien."

"You have the strangest brain function, d'you know that?" she quirked.

"Course I do." He grinned big. "And, anyway, it may be something you want to get. Tell you what, when we get out of here, I'll swing you by the old Shadow Proclamation. "

"What the hell does that have to do with…Oh; I see where this is going." She nodded with a smile.

"That's what I love about you Martha Jones, you always keep up."

Martha was struck by his words. It should not hurt her to hear his use of that word, but it did. It made her ache for him, the him that waited for her back home. The him that was with their son right now.

He must have noted the change in her, he came closer and kneeled down to meet her eye. "Martha," he cleared his throat, and for the first time, ever, Martha was sure he was choosing his words to her very carefully."Martha," he spoke with a voice that seemed to come from under something thick, wet and dark. "Whatever I have done to you, or said to you. Whatever the pain I have caused that I see in your eyes.

"Doctor," she shook her head. "I told you, any words you have to say are not going to fix this. You have a track record of ruining my life."

"I know." He agreed. "I know, and I have not always been the best to you. But, Martha, all the others, in all of that time with the blonde, or the guy in the leather jacket, you had to know how we felt." He pled.

"It's not about them." She sniffed against her own will she could feel the tears threatening. "Out of all of them, why was it you that hated me so much?"

"Hated you?" he smiled then, one of his big juicy Allons-y grins that always made her want to drop everything and hit the road running. "Hated you? Martha Jones never in all of that time, or now, or any other time have I hated you."

"It certainly wasn't love." She held her head a little higher. "And, anyway. 1 out of twelve, I think I like those odds."

He stood and took a few steps away from her. "I do love you Martha Jones. Just, not in the way I could." He stuffed his hands in his pockets. "It has nothing to do with Rose, before you even ask. I met you knowing somehow, I could never be the one to put the smile on your face. It was never about how I felt about you; it was anger for not being the one you chose."

"You are so full of shit." Martha accused.

"I'm not." He fixed a look upon her. "I met you that day; your lines were all crazy. I didn't know. I swear to you I did not know what you were to me then. Call it temporal amnesia, outside the timelines, a timey-wimey blind spot. I don't know." He shrugged as if to explain it all. "You were there, smiling at me, and it was as if I was home."

"Doctor, stop."

But he went on, "I saw you Martha Jones, and it was.." the Doctor closed his eyes and shook his head. "It was every memory that had not happened yet, flooded into me. No pictures, just feelings. It was so much at once. How can you say that I don't love you?"

She did not know what to say at that point. Martha stood with her head lowered, a noticeable heat grew out of the silence in the space between them. His big brown eyes bore into her, "Martha," he whispered."You made me better. You have made me better, and you will continue to make me better."

She could feel his breath on her cheek; that was how close he was to her now. "You, it's been you Martha. You at the end of the universe. You, lost in that library as a child. You, yelling at me while I tried to fix the sink. "

The Doctor ran his finger along her cheek, Martha wanted to bat his hand away. but a moment so intense, so intimate, should not be lessened by pain.

"You, and me and my old face, and what we did in my room before I brought you back to him."

She shuddered as he came close enough to kiss her ear, but stayed just out of reach. His words seemed to physically caress her now.

"You, leaving with him on Trellis 3. You ask me about Rose." He whispered in a fevered voice that nearly scared her. "You always ask me about Rose. But, what if I were to ask you about the man with the bow tie?" Why must you always leave me for him?"


	18. Tenth Avenue Freeze Out V

**Thanks for all of the cheering guys, you all helped me get this one out. Sorry it took so long, one more chap after this and an epi. I hope it meets with your approval, let me know what you think. And to WHo Is Jim The Fish...just wing it, can;t wait to read your stuff.**

She flinched at his words. Martha had been so close to turning kind eyes upon his face, that his whispered accusation made her stomach drop faster than a broken elevator. "What?" she asked.

He pulled away, only slightly, but Martha could feel his arms folding into her space. "You heard me Martha Jones," he sneered audibly. "What? Can you not understand English now?"

It was that same feeling one would have if a favorite pet suddenly turned and bit you for no reason, or a parent yelling at you when you had done nothing wrong. It wasn't a very nice feeling, having a romance story suddenly turn into a Thomas Harris novel. "I heard you; I just don't understand what you mean."

"Of course you do." He sniffed, raising his head to try and meet her averted eyes. "It's why you won't look at me now."

Martha shook her head and tried to pull away, too late realizing how tight his arms were around her. "You're not him." She said.

"I have always been him." The Doctor evened. "It's your perceptions that have denied that."

'I still don't know what you mean." She managed, though her voice had taken on a noticeable tremble. Was he right? Did she affect him as much as he had affected her?

He released her then, stood up and readjusted his tie. "You know." He sniffed. "If one finds the person they love constantly running off for someone else, it may give them a bit of a complexed."

"Doctor," she rtired, but words seemed to fail her. The argument wanted to come forth, to batter down his accusations. But there was enough doubt in her to still her pros=tests, and enough truth in his words to silence her ire. "I didn't know."

His eyes danced dangerously. "You knew." He accused. "You knew I was the same man. I am the same man. You deny me time with the only connection I have to anyone like me. You come chasing after me in fear for what I may do to Trevor, but I would never hurt him."

"I didn't say you—"

But he stopped her with a raised hand. He stood looking at her and Martha knew there was real anger on his face; this was not a means to turn the argument to his favor. The hurt and danger in his glare was real. "You hold all of this anger about something you think that I did, or implied. Was it so wrong for me to love Rose? Was it so wrong for me to cling to someone who offered forever when I never felt that returned from you?"

She was both humbled and sad. Each time she had kissed him and run from him. It was carried in his eyes right now. An emotion found footing in her for the man with this face, a footing she never would have expected to feel for him. "You don't understand." She tried instead.

He laughed then, a laugh that was as far away from humor as the east from the west. "It's you that doesn't understand Martha. You have no clue how many times I have watched you walk away from me. How many times I leave you before he comes home. I clung to Rose because she was not you."

A slap in the face would have hurt less.

"She wasn't the brightest bulb in the garden, but she saw me. You say I never saw you. You taught me that." He accused. "You taught me that it was me who was second best. Somewhere,, in this big four lobed brain of mine, I carried those memories. Out of my reach, but they were there. I once told you that without you, I could go on, but there would always be a part of me looking for you. I have spent nine hundred years looking for you. Rose came along, and I felt safe. I felt as if that hole would be filled."

She said nothing, just sat with her small hands clasped in her lap. She felt like she was on trial, and was certain he was a hanging judge.

He came closer to her then. Not close enough to touch, but in her space nonetheless. "You have kept me at arm's length for hundreds of years. It hurts Martha. It hurts to see you keep away from me. It hurt to open those doors and know that I am not the one you are running to." He turned away from her then, "I carry it all in here, every time you leave me is written=en on my soul in indelible ink."

"That is a lot of pressure to put on one person."

"Well, you knew the job was dangerous when you took it." The Doctor shrugged. "You were never mine to have, and yet you were mine. It's all maddening. I can't avoid you, and I can't have you. I rather feel like a penniless kid at the proverbial candy store. And yet…" he trailed off.

"And yet?"

"Time is not the boss of me, but it is. I have no choice in it. He married you, he is the one that said, it's you." He pointed to her with an accusatory finger. "But that choice was never mine."

"It never dawned on me, Doctor; I guess I always saw it from my point of view, from my pain."

He sneered at her admission. "This is why this is usually not done. It's a complex thing, Martha, too easy for feelings to be hurt."

"But you act as if you have none." She said.

"Really?" he asked "Because from the looks of Trevor, I would say that is an untrue statement." He thrust his hands into his pockets. "And I have a hard time believing

The room fell silent after that, and Martha was not certain if that was such a bad thing. The air in the room was so full of emotional energy; she could nearly here the crackle of it in the air. He had admitted to her how he felt.

"Blimey," he spoke with his hand scratching his neck. "That felt good."

"I'm sure it did." She countered.

Martha rose and moved to stand next to him. "I really don't know if you and I will ever be…"

The Doctor acquiesced with a vigorous nod. "Yeah, I know. But we sort of have to be, don't we."

Martha placed her arms around him. "Where do we go from here?" she asked.

"Go?" he asked with that mad grin. "We go to the Shadow Proclamation! Our son is still in danger of being used as a science experiment."

She did not correct his use of the pronoun, and Martha was surprised at how much it still bothered her that he was as much a part of Trevor as her Doctor was. Instead, she stood aside as he palmed his sonic and went to the door. "Did you know how to get out of here the whole time?" she asked angrily.

"We needed a nice quiet place to chat, Martha." He answered from over his shoulder as he tweaked the keypad. "Now we have reached the running part of our evening." The door snicked open, the Doctor reached for her hand and she allowed him to take it.

They emerged into a dimly lit corridor. By the time they reached the TARDIS, they were both out of breath and laughing.

"Its just like old times, innit?" he asked from behind the console.

"Old times maybe for you." She laughed. "For me, its Wednesday."

* * *

><p>The Judoon met them at the door. Martha flinched at their presence, but the Doctor seemed completely nonplussed. "Its just the welcoming committee." He smiled to her. The Doctor spoke to them in their own language, and the pair were quickly led away to a large pristine room.<p>

"Nice to see you back, Doctor." The pale woman smirked.

"Nice to be niced to." He grinned in that manic way. "Although," he drawled. "Its not really a social call."

The pale woman finally noticed Martha and nodded. "No, I suppose it's not." She sat behind her desk and offered them to sit in the chairs positioned in front. "This is about the child, isn't it?"

"That child has a name," Martha fired. "And so do I."

"\The doctor smiled at her ferocity. He grinned at her, then turned his million watt smile to the other woman. "Martha Jones, Shadow Architect, she runs the, well the universe sort of. Shadow Architect, meet Martha Jones, she runs, well…" he grinned even bigger if possible. "Me."

"Yes, yes." She Architect waved. "We know well who you are _Martha Jones_."

"Oh, you don't know me, Shadow Architect, or whoever you are. But I will tell you, my son is not for you to decide."

The Architect rose from her seat. "I would advise you to show a little more tact Miss Jones." She warned.

Martha had had enough. Not only was this woman trying use her son for god- knew-what means; not only was she already an insufferable bearish person, but she stood as yet another person without a proper name. "And I suggest, that you think really carefully about meddling in other people's affairs."

The Doctor placed his arm on hers. "What my wife is trying to say." He began, ignoring the death glare from the woman at his side. "Is that our son is nothing more than a simple human hybrid." He grinned.

"Be that as it may." The pale woman spoke dismissively. "The child is a unique being that must be studied. In all honesty, Doctor, do you really think that we would allow one being to hold that sort of uniqueness without at least monitoring his behavior?"

"Unique? I think I know a little something about unique. I've been unique for a while now. Hasn't affected me yet."

"And how much tampering of time have you been responsible for? Don't forget I put you on trial."

"A sham if I remember." He warned. "Your words, not mine. And, anyway. There is nothing unique about Martha, she is completely human."

"Rule number one, the Doctor lies." The Architect rose from her seat, hands on the top of her desk.

But Martha smiled, realizing where this was going. "No, its true. I have been checked by your own forces." She smiled as the Doctor produced a piece of paper from his pocket.

"Yup! He grinned. "Your own troops pronounced her human, and compensated her for the error."

The Architect snatched the paper form the Doctor's hand. She sat down again as she read the document. "This is an outrage!"

"Your rules, not mine." He smiled.

The Architect signed the document and handed it back to Martha. "This is a technicality." She began.

"Oh I love a technicality, sorta like winning by default. Or, in this case, your fault." He smiled.

Martha looked at the Doctor, and again felt that odd emotion creeping into her. There was a glint in his eyes, a look that reminded her of him. Maybe, somewhere inside, they were the same man. "That proves that I am human."

"And," the Doctor spoke again with all the righteousness of a Southern preacher. "That there is no way that she can ever be classified as other than human. Therefore, there is nothing unique to Trevor, well, other than being half awesome." He smiled at Martha. "The other half, well let's hope he grows out of all those faults/" he grinned.

"This is an outrage, but I have no choice but to grant his status as hybrid." The Architect shook her head, removed her glasses and rubbed her fingers over the bridge of her nose. "Now, will the two of you please remove yourself from my sight."

"No," Martha asserted. "I never did get my compensation."

The Doctor squeezed the hand the Martha did not even realize he had been holding. "Ohhhh," he drawled to the Architect. "Should never poke a mother lion."

* * *

><p>"Well, its mine." She countered in much the same way as Trevor had when faced with sharing his Legos with William.<p>

"But you really don't need it, Martha." He grinned.

"But," she smiled back as he fiddled with the controls. "Its good to have, isn't it?"

The Doctor stopped his movements and looked at her. "What are you going to do with an entire planet?" he asked.

"I dunno, " she shrugged, tucking the certificate into her pocket. "But I cannot wait to find out."

"It's a nice planet," he nodded. "Please don't put any fast food places on it."

They laughed together; in fact, it was a large class M planet, uninhabited by anything but wildlife. "it'll be a nice place to vacation on."

Silence fell in the console room again, the Doctor went back to setting coordinates. "Time to go home then." He spoke in that voice she had heard enough times to know it really was his brave face.

"You were right." She said out of the blue.

"Of course I was right, I am always right." He raised his head to look at her. "Wait, what was I right about?"

She sighed before speaking "I have kept you at a distance. I have kept you at arm's length. All of you."

He looked at her but said nothing. Martha went on. "I don't know why, maybe its some weird emotional paradox, maybe its because I am so terribly human. But for whatever reason, I have. For that, I am sorry."

"It's a simple case of self jealousy, I'm afraid." The Doctor admitted. "I have never been good at sharing my toys."

"Neither is Trevor, and Oi! I am not a toy." She smiled. "But, the truth is, I don't know how to handle all of this."

He came to her, put his arms around her and gave her an honest hug. "I know, but you have to be more considerate Martha." He warned. "It's a fragile thing this bond."

"But, seeing the way you went to bat for Trevor, it helped, you know?"

He nodded.

"I mean, for the longest time, I have only seen Trevor as our son…you know what I mean?'

He nodded again.

"It's hard to acclimate the idea for me." She shrugged.

"It will get easier." He assured her.

"God, I hope so, because right now, I feel like I should be sectioned."

He hugged her again. "How would you like to go see your planet?" he asked.

* * *

><p>"Mummy!" Trevor ran toward her as she made her way across the lawn. It was the greatest site in the universe.<p>

She grabbed him up and held him close to her. Turning, she saw the Doctor coming toward her. "Well," he asked. "Did you have a lovely visit?"

She smiled at her husband. "You knew, didn't you?" she accused softly.

He nodded. "I knew that there was an incident. I knew that he would show up at some point. We honestly cannot stay away from you, Martha."

It was Martha's turn to nod as they made their way into the house. "He needed to have a few things out."

"Do you get it now?" he asked quietly.

"I get I have not been the best wife for you." She sniffed.

The Doctor placed his arms around his wife and son. "Don't ever, ever say that." He admonished. "Its just something that is going to take some getting used to." He smiled.

"So you know that everything is all right now, I mean for Trevor."

"I know." He nodded.

"Mummy," Trevor spoke. "Can we go see the funny man with the hair again?" he asked. "Ghytravi?"

"He knows that word, does he?" The Doctor smiled, knowing full well he himself had taught it to him. The Doctor took Trevor in his arms. "Oh you know what? I have a feeling we will have to beat him away!" he tickled the little boy's tummy before kissing Martha.

"I don't know how comfortable I am with that." She said. "It might be too confusing for him."

"He needs it more than Trevor does." He whispered into her ear. "We'll make it work."

"Don't we always?" she smiled and kissed him back.


	19. High Noon

**Last chapter. There will be an epilogue to follow, hopefully sooner rather than later. Thanks to all of my faithful reviewers. You guys have made this a lot of fun. I don;t think i will be writing a sequel to this one. I am going to finish The High Road, and maybe one more story after that one. So, show me some love and stay tuned. My new story will come after i finish the other one. Have to say i am really feeling the 11/Martha and 5/Martha...hmmmmmm.**

She waited outside of the box; usually he popped out all wriggly puppy and fanciful tales. But sometimes…

Sometimes he took his time emerging from the TARDIS, and it was those times that scared her the most. It was never a good sign to see him in a different body hurt and smiling, but wearing that same mask of dread.

There were subtle differences in the exterior of the TARDIS, and Martha's heightened senses could detect that the old girl was warning her. Gleep's pacing in front of the doors did little to offset the niggling fear of dread.

As the moments ticked by she wondered if she should not escort the two year old back into the house. He may be a bit frightened, and Martha began to think she would have to go in. Just as she turned to take Trevor into the house the doors flew open.

"Martha!" the red head called, but she could read that his joviality was forced.

Martha angled Trevor away from the Doctor's grasp. "Oh, it's you."

His face fell at her assertion. "That's a fine way to greet me." He folded his arms.

Martha turned and began to walk back through the garden toward the back door. "Come by accident again?" she asked over her shoulder.

"No, no this is completely intentional." He grinned.

Martha harrumphed but kept her cadence, and she wondered if she was running away from him on some level. "Why do I get the feeling this si not a social call?"

He held the screen door open as they entered the kitchen. "It's always a social call when I come see you, Martha."

Martha placed Trevor into his high chair as the boy turned sleepy eyes onto the tall man standing in the kitchen. "Who are you?" he asked.

The Doctor knelt to meet the boy's gaze. "Well, Trevor, I know you are a clever boy, so I know you will understand what I am going to tell you."

"John?" Martha both asked and warned as she put the kettle on.

But the Doctor seemed to ignore her. "It's me, Trev. Dad."

"Martha slammed the kettle onto the stove and turned angrily. "John!"

The Doctor stood and took his wife by the elbow. "Martha." He began. "You knew this could happen."

But Martha shook her head as if she had no idea. "No," she rallied, tears forming in her eyes.

The Doctor folded her into his arms. "Not yet, but soon, Martha. You knew that."

Martha nodded unsure. She went about making tea as the Doctor prattled along with Trevor. By the time he had the shield asleep an hour later, she was bursting with fear and rage.

"Whatever you do," he announced calmly. "Do not shout." He pointed up toward the nursery, and Martha agreed with a small nod. "Now, you have questions."

"You damn right I have questions." She spat.

He took her into a fierce hug, held her close to him and allowed her to cry. "How?" she asked through tears.

"I can't tell you, you know that. "

"Then why are you even here?" she shoved him away.

He thrust his hands into the pockets of his pegged chinos. "To prepare you, both of you. Its not east this life, Martha."

"And it's not fair to Trevor that he has a father with a different face, I mean, how are we going to explain this to him when he asks."

The Doctor placed his hand behind his neck and fell silent. "I don't know." He shrugged. "I suppose we will have to tell him the truth. Perception filter won't work on him. Too much Gallifreyian I'm afraid."

"We will not be using any sort of device to try to fool anyone, let alone my son."

"Our son." He corrected.

Martha nodded and wiped a stray tear from her eye. "So, what, we just tell him that Daddy has a new face?"

"Yes," the Doctor nodded.

"And what about when this happens again, when he is twelve? What do we do then? When he has friends, and teachers, and a life outside of this crazy existence?"

Again that fragile silence where Martha had the distinct feeling that the Doctor was holding back, or holding in as if censuring himself against the maelstrom she wielded. But, all he did was shru and throw himself onto the sofa. "I really don't know, Martha." He sighed.

"I have to say it, don't I?" she hedged after a time. "I have to be the one to do it. To be the bad guy."

He nodded solemnly. "I think h I have said it to you at least three times. Tell me what you want Martha. Tell me what to do. I won't do it without your insistence."

"And I won't clip your wings." She said.

The Doctor was on his feet quickly. "We both know it's the only way, Martha. We both know that you are the rational one in this marriage." He grinned.

Martha huffed and raised her eyes to stare at the ceiling. "Fine," she accepted.

"Good." He nodded.

"Will I see him again?" she asked meekly.

"Once more." He nodded. The Doctor stepped closer into her space.

Martha shook his head and could feel the tears threatening all over again. "You are a harbinger of Sorrows." She accused.

"I have been called that before." He agreed. "And worse."

"But, you have said yourself that time can be rewritten." She spoke with a sudden burst of hope. "Can't this be rewritten?

He took her hands in his and kissed each one. "You know the answer to that, Martha."

She nodded. She knew.

"Make it count." He held her hands to his chest. "I came here to prepare you." He kissed her forehead. "I know this is all hard on you."

"You have no idea." She niffed."

"I do, I really do. But you have to know that this is not the end. I am still here. I am still with you. We still have a life. "

She nodded.

"I am the same man. Whether I am blond, or brunette. Old or short. It's still me. I still love you. You are here." He placed her hands on his hearts. "I am the same man. You have nothing to worry about."

"Can't you just come back as him again? Or just…I don't know."

"Cheap parlor tricks Martha. Our marriage is not about cheap parlor tricks."

"It's how we met." She smiled sadly.

"Clever girl." He grinned back. "Everything will be fine." He assured her.

* * *

><p>It was a week later that the Doctor made a big show of coming home. "I will be here for a week." He announced with a grin. "Need to lay low for a while."<p>

"Lay low? Again?" Martha grinned sadly. "What, I thought those charges were all dropped."

The Doctor grabbed her and danced her around the4 kitchen. "Oh no, I have made all new mistakes. You know me Martha, always trying to better myself." He grinned.

"Or best yourself." She smiled as she allowed his mania to enfold and become her own. "But I was thinking that tonight after Trev is in bed—"

"Oooo Martha Jones! I do love when you think ahead." He took her into his arms and began kissing her.

"No, Doctor." She giggled under his fiery kisses. "I mean we need to talk."

He continued mauling her as he spoke. "I seem to recall a similar discussion the first time we made love."

"Doctor!" she insisted trying to work her way from under his kisses, while keeping her own arousal from getting the best of her. "We really need to talk."

He stopped on his own, still holding his arms around her waist, "That sounds vaguely serious. Ominous even." He noted.

"It is." She nodded.

But, as usual, it was Francine Jones to the rescue. Just then she waltzed through the kitchen carrying Trevor. "We are going to the zoo. A _proper_ zoo." She announced with a nod to her son-in-law.

"The Morgon Zoo _was_ real." He insisted with a pout.

"Real scary." Martha huffed.

The doctor turned to his wife with a traitorous look. Trevor waved happily as they made for the car. Martha was grateful that he was far too excited to mention what had transpired a week before. He was a child of a large imagination, and Martha imagined he assumed it was a dream, or a joke, or whatever he did to make things normal in his abnormal life.

"Now," The Doctor grinned, angling toward Martha. "Where were we?"

* * *

><p>As they lay in the glow of each other, sweaty and spent, Martha knew then it was now or never. "Doctor?"<p>

"Hmm?" he asked, his hand still tracing lazy spirals on her shoulder.

"It's time to make a choice." She eased.

"Sure, we can go to that sushi place in Carthage. I like sushi, especially with custard. "

Martha allowed the smile to take over her face. "No," she shook her head sadly. "I mean," Martha rose onto one elbow to face her husband. "I mean that its time to choose what we are."

The Doctor seemed confused at her words, and her demeanor was sure to make him nervous. She knew he would jump to conclusions. "Is this about a wedding? I love you Martha, but I told you before, I am rubbish at weddings. "

"No, just let me finish, ok?"

The Doctor nodded and lay back into his pillow, pulled her closer and sighed. "Yes, yes do go on." He waved.

"You have told me before to let you know when things have gotten too crazy—"

"Did someone visit? Did they scare you? I can make them all go away, Martha." He spun.

"No, Doctor, please let me speak." She insisted, raising herself to a seated position against the brass headboard of their bed.

"Right." He nodded again.

She sighed, "Trevor is getting older, and as much fun as it is to have a magical box outside that can take us anywhere—"

"All of time and space." He grinned, but stopped at the serious look on her face.

"As much fun as it is, I think I need a more settled existence. I never wanted to clip your wings, or tie you down, Doctor. But, this is a situation where I have to choose between you and Trevor. No offence, but I will pick Trevor every single time."

"As well you should." He nodded.

"What I am saying, is that, yes they need to not come around for a while. Just until Trevor is old enough to understand everything."

"Right," he nodded, but Martha could see the clouds forming behind his green eyes.

She could tell he was not happy with her decision. "If it's not what you want, I understand if you want to…" she let the rest trail off, not sure if she was ready to hear the words from her own lips.

He turned then, sat up and grabbed her shoulders. "What, Martha? What would you be ok with?" he asked in a too calm voice.

"You need to travel; it's why you left your home in the first place. I understand that. I don't want you to be tied to anything here. We have a sort of odd marriage."

"Not for me it's not." He answered, throwing the covers off and standing nude while searching for his clothes. "This," he motioned between the two of them. "Is the most wondrous of all of my adventures. And, believe you me, Martha Jones. I have had some adventures. I have had adventures that your tiny human mind can only imagine. I have danced with Queens, drank with Emperors. I have seen whole galaxies rise and fall. I have died; I have reshaped to become something else."

"Then why can't it be the only one. I mean, you have told me to tell you to settle down. Why is this so unbearable." She spoke brokenly,

"It's not _unbearable_." He flipped.

"Then, what is it Doctor? You have to understand how hard of a decision this has been for me."

The Doctor nodded as he replaced his tie and grabbed his jacket off of the desk chair. "Right." He nodded.

Martha got out of bed and reached for her robe. She followed him through the winding house and out o the garden. He said nothing and she chose not to agitate4 and already volatile situation, but knowing this was the last time she would see him, she wanted to make sure that she said her peace.

He opened the door to the ship and stepped inside. Martha was upset to find the door close in front of her. She had no idea this would be so hard for him. But, to be fair, it was hard on both of them, for different reasons.

She stood with her arms folded as she waited for the ship to dematerialize. But, as she was ready to turn toward the house, the door opened and he stepped out. "You are scared." He surmised.

Martha nodded.

He stood with his hands in his pockets. "Why?"

"I—" Martha shook her head for want of words. "I don't know." She said finally."

"No," he accused. "I have seen you like this before, but you have never, ever wanted to stay Earth bound. Why now?"

"Doctor," she shook her head again. "Please."

The Doctor held up a hand and went on. "Someone came here, something has you scared, so scared you can't even tell me what is going on. It is either about me, or Trevor. Something about someone's safety. I know you Martha; you never overreact unless someone you love is in danger. So, who is it?" his eyes were fire and ice. Martha understood he thought she was keeping things from him. Never a good thing in a marriage.

"Doctor, this is a difficult decision. Please don't leave in anger." She pled.

"Leave in anger?" he cocked his head to the side. "I was coming here to shut her down, move her into the garage. " he smiled suddenly. "I told you Martha, you are my greatest adventure, now how can anything else measure up to that?"

She leapt into his arms and relished in his touch. He held her so tight, that breaths came in short gasps.

"Will you tell me what has you so scared?" he asked after a time.

"I can't" she smiled into his shoulder. "Ask me again later?"

He nodded, he pulled her face to his and leaned in to kiss her. But as their lips were inches apart, a siren came from the TARDIS. "Code Mauve." He smiled with a glance to the still open door.

She nodded; this was how it had to be. "One last trip?" she asked.

He nodded. "You know how I can't say no to someone in need."

"One last time? Just until Trevor is older?"

He nodded. "Come with me?" he smiled. "I need my second in command. I could get distracted with all that looking over my shoulder for you."

"Absolutely." She nodded taking his hand.


	20. Epilogue:  The End is Where We Begin

**Finally finished this one, whew, took me a while to figure out where i wanted this one to go, but it went. Hope you all like it, thanks for waiting. You guys are awesome**

It never really ended. The danger, the adventure, there never really was an end to it.

There were, however, many breaks in the action. Times where, Martha Jones, would come up for air. Somewhere between the end of the school year, and the beginning of the next school year were the only times allowed for lost children, mysterious new worlds, and the occasionally misplaced shoe being located on planets that had no pronounceable name.

No, the action never ended, sometimes it just got its tune changed.

She smiled as she sat with her legs tucked under her on the couch, flipping through the electronic photo album. Her husband had shed his skin long ago, but it was nice to see him still immortalized with that face and that silly ass bow tie. She missed that one.

Occasionally, while they would be on their way to having their lives endangered for the hell of it, they would run into one of him. Someone he was traveling with long term, or short term, or until the got themselves killed off or married off, or both. The companion du jour would assume her companion status, and she never denied it, until the younger version of her husband would grab her and snog her senseless. Usually, it was a dead giveaway that the tiny woman with the big brown eyes and the ageless face was far more than the casual traveler.

She liked meeting his old companions, people he had spent intense amounts of time with, who often made the ultimate sacrifice for him. Because they believed. he believed. He believed in humanity, that her kind were so much more than the occasional despot or tyrant hell bent for leather and a good smack. They were as varied and different as his former incarnations. She was nearly in love Jamie, fangirled all over a very young and bad ass Sarah Jane Smith; she was nearly stabbed by Leela, shared a snog with Teagan, blew up an alien space prison with Ace, and was so irritated by Perpigilliam Brown she begged off a migraine and locked herself in the bathroom for an hour. American accents should not sound like that, she thought with a shake of her head.

He liked to do that a lot, though. Snog her senseless. In the middle of no where, in the center of action. In prison cells and bizarre bazaars. Sometimes, he did it for no reason at all, he would grab her hand, pull her to him, and kiss her. The ginger version of her husband was as handsy as a schoolboy on prom. And, she loved it. It took time to get used to, having had the structure of the man she had fallen in love with, who did not enjoy PDA's at all, thank you very much. But, by the time he had finally gotten his sincerest wish of red hair, he was all seventeen year old awkward boy. He even had a series of Xbox's in his console room.

But, even with al the twists and turns of their lives, the hundred years they spent on Earth was what the couple cherished the most.

They raised their three children. Trevor, Jamie and Nourah, mostly in the UK, and they learned that Daddy was different than the other fathers at their school. He did things oddly, and he sometimes said things that made no sense. But aside from all that, they knew that the magical box in the back of their garage was as special and unique as nothing else in the universe. Except for them, of course.

The three children, Martha now flipped to the first files. Jamie came not long after Trev. He was always younger than his brother, and never forgave him for it. Where Trev was brainy and perfectly happy in his books, Jamie had a severe case of itchy feet. Jamie was never in the same place longer than five seconds, and if he was, then something usually blew up as a result. Trey was so much like her. Bookish and smart, even had a smug streak about his brains, something that Martha would only admit to being carried on the Y gene.

Jamie was different, he liked to move. He talked and he moved. That was his two modes. He only ever stopped doing those things when he was asleep, and even then it only lasted for four hours a night. Jamie played any sport that insured that he could run, get dirty, and compete. He was happiest in flight mode, never one to start a fight, but somehow, his mouth always put him into the thick of it. Jamie and Trev never really got on until they were much older. Growing up with both of them in one house assured that there would always be a battlefield nearby.

Martha enjoyed this quiet time, flipping through the part of her life that was now reserved for family stories and memories. When she came to photos of Nourah, their smallest and most endearing child, it was with the greatest of memories. They had beaten the odds that Trevor had warned her about in that other universe. Twice. Two healthy boys full of piss and vinegar. There was nothing wrong with them, save for an unexplainable heart murmur that artfully masked the presence of a second heart in Jamie, and the odd respiratory system of his brother. But Nourah...

She was a fighter. Pale skinned, honey eyed and beautiful, Nourah was physically grown way past her meager mind could take her. She never left that ten year old world, and for that, Martha was grateful. She stayed on Earth for her. Nourah stayed in the house with her long after Francine Jones had passed away, long after Trevor Jones had become a professor of Astral Physics at MIT in the States. Nourah was there with Martha and the Doctor long after Jamie had had his 12 year stint as Prime Minister of England. It was Nourah who Gleep took a special shine to. Martha could let the tall dragon go walking with her daughter in the fields surrounding their country home. Gleep grew much more humanoid than she had expected,l and a simple bio damper led everyone to see an adopted child of special needs,, much like Nourah. The Doctor would laugh when Martha wondered why no one complained upon seeing the two out together, Gleep did not talk, but no one in their town seemed bothered to see the pair, arm in arm. "Martha," the Doctor had explained. "They're only human. They see what they want to see, that's all. Gleep is as able minded as he needs to be."

The Doctor and Martha watched their little girl mature, then age. Her friends passing her, her classmates, more than kind to her, still visited, still sent her cards on her birthday. Somewhere, in the depths of the TARDIS was a box with each of those cards, saved for the ages. She would miss all of her children, they lived, they made a difference on Earth, in small ways, and in large ones.

She closed the photo album with a flick of her finger. He was already standing in the doorway. "You always get so sad when you lok at those pictures. They led good lives, Martha. They left a lasting impression on others. No one could ask for more than that." He took her in his arms and held her close. "There were good times, and tragedies in between Lives loved and lost."

The Doctor took the picture viewer and clicked onto the last picture in the viewer. It was an article om their local paper, written by Amy's granddaughter. A story about how a loving elderly couple who had been together for nearly a hundred yeas. Aged pictures of their faces shown as the world saw the. The article went on to describe how the parents of the former Prime Minister had died quietly in their sleep at the same time, on the same day. So in love, it had said, that they faced death the same way they had faced life. Together.

Gleep stood in the console room, no longer the tiny child like creature he had once been, he seemed anxious to spread his wings and have a good flight. He had been Nourah's most faithful companion, her champion. When she passed away quietly, it was the first time either of them had ever seen the dragon really cry.

"Someone is ready for a holiday." The Doctor noted.

Martha nodded. "Its all just a drop in the bucket, isn;t it? Will it all just seem a far away dream?"

The Doctor shook his head and held her tighter. "Our children will never have been a dream." he assured her He suddenly broke the hold and moved to the console. "Now, she needs a refuel, what's say we have a quick dip to Cardiff, then off to see the stars? Its been a while. Let's get to it!"

Martha nodded and stood next to him, Gleep at her elbow. "Second to the right..." she started with a glint in her eyes.

The Doctor through the handbrake, "And straight on til morning!"


	21. What is it Good For?

SURPRISE!

I kept thinking after the 50th special how would these two interact, and i had to do it. I had to put them in here. He deserved to meet her, to be taken care of by her.

No, i will not be doing canon 12 here, i like my twelve for this story, though Capaldi has grown on me...and Clara of all things if you can believe that And lets not forget Mr. Pink Anyone who has watched Resevoir Dogs would laugh right along with me whenever they watched this season.

Anyway, i think this completes this story now, but i would like to say tht i will be finishing off Speak Plainly. Got stuck and lost the route on it. Had to have a freind lead me back to the pool

This is for JBlackFFR who would not let me weasal outta this one. Dont thank me, thank her.

############################

The small man looked confused, as if he had wandered far from whomever was responsible for his care. The small woman would have been more careful, more scared had she not both seen the blue box and known who he was.

"What do you want?" she asked, arms folded, eyes darting back toward the house. He had once again landed in the middle of the rose bed, though there were no second replacements in neon colors to offer any sort of apologies and abatement. This man, this errant misunderstood version of the man she shared her life with, was no more concerned with comfiture as he would be with the anthill his shoe covered.

The man with the grey beard and shocked expression attempted a smile that came across as broken glass beneath bare feet. "I suppose you know me, then?"

Martha nodded but said nothing.

"I've come to..." he started but could not finish. A sigh escaped his lips and he shook his head.

"I know." Martha nodded, turned on her heel and began to walk the distance to the back door. "You'll have to be quiet though." She added holding the back door open for him. "He only sleeps a few hours at a time." She'd never refused them, any of them, not since she was made to understand what they felt...what he felt. It was hard to understand the sudden visit by this version, why he felt the need to come. She hoped he hadn't come for absolution.

He made his way to the table alongside the kitchen's bay window and made a show of sitting. "You know I hadn't even imagined I would come here." He began in a quiet raspy voice. "I was on my way to..."

Martha nodded her encouragement and slid a steaming cup of tea across the table. No matter what face he wore, tea seemed to be his universal invariant. "I know where you are going, Doctor." She said from over her shoulder.

"You seem like you are afraid of me." he said with no accusation.

Martha stopped for a moment;"I'm not..." Martha defended, but pulled her arm quickly to her side when he reached out to touch her. "Scared."

The Doctor nodded solemnly and tucked into his tea. "It's not like I have a choice, you know."

"I am not looking for your confession." Martha said from over her shoulder.

"And I'm not looking for a priest." he said.

"Then why are you here?"

"I came here to see my wife to see..." he turned toward the kitchen door with a look so full of hope that Martha knew instantly what he wanted. "To see if there is anything worth fighting for anymore."

"He's asleep." she repeated. "I try to enjoy what little sleep he gets." If she had thought about it, there was a part of her, a rather large part that was keeping this copy away from her son. _Their_ son. Martha could not figure out why, there was something about the way her husband's face had clouded over when he mentioned him. Once and only once had he ever made mention of the man he had once been. The man who had ended it all.

The Doctor turned to face Martha again, his hands curled defensively. "I am the same man." He insisted quietly.

"That's what scares me." Martha said sitting again across from him. She had produced a plate of food and hoped it would be enough.

He smiled and followed it with a gravelly chuckle. "You are a smart one. Guess it all makes sense then.. You, here." He looked at her then, something in his eyes flashed that same fire that she had seen; as someone standing on the edge of a thousand universes with every secret hidden beneath his smile. She knew he was the same man; there was no doubt in her mind.

"Guess it does." she said. The two let the quiet ease around them in slow spirals. The haze of the afternoon spilled through the window, late spring in the Midlands often offered days that built into fiery crescendos of late afternoon thunderstorms. Martha was quiet for a moment longer and spoke. "What was it like?" she asked, not meeting his eyes. She continued to look out of the large windows next to here, measuring the rain.

"What was what like?" he asked with a loud sip of his tea.

She sighed and squared her shoulders. "The end. When you did it. What was it like?"

HE eyed her over his raised cup and spoke. "We are out of synch my love, i have only been considering it. I have only come to the realization that the end must come to end it."

Martha nodded. "I guess I should be clearer. I have heard so much about Gallifrey. I have even seen images and….holograms. But, I want to know what was it like at the end. I mean," Martha stopped, realized she had affected her husband's talent for the ramble, only where he did it when he was sure of himself; she did it when nervous.

The Doctor let her out of it. "You're wondering what was the proverbial straw, the last thing that I could stand? You want to know…." He stopped, gulped down the last of his tea. You want to know what led me to say 'no more,'"

She nodded, still not meeting his eyes. "I only ask because it has affected him...you...for so long. You never talk about with me. We never…" she stopped there not sure how to go on, again."

He nodded. "The one who forgets and the one who regrets." he sighed then and rolled his hands over his face tiredly. "I have come here because...well she brought me here, but when i came through the doors I knew." He fixed upon her steel grey eyes stormed with emotions his face would not belie. "I assume it's the one that forgets that crawls into bed with you every night."

"Most nights…some nights." She amended. The two shared a smile and Martha could not help but feel a connection with this face. There was something about him that reminded her of her time in UNIT strapped to a detonation device.

"There isn't one thing, Martha. There was no moment of absolute clarity when I grabbed that device and said: 'that's it, I have to end this now. ' It was, a series of things. Gallifrey was no more. Gallifrey had fallen, it was like a mass of iron and steel being held up by a pile of feathers. It was gone, she was gone. All that was left were a lot of memories and a lot of…."

"You will never understand this, Martha, and I pray to god that you never will. Nor him" he pointed off to some far off concept of where Trevor was. "It's a hell of a thing to have to end so many lives. So many children…"

"I do know how you feel right now." She said without giving too much away, "I too was ready to destroy my planet just to rid a threat."

The Doctor cocked his head and studied her face "You did. I can see it in your eyes."

"UNIT made me a soldier; mission first, humanity second. A very dear friend had to remind me of what that feels like."

"Me." He nodded.

"Maybe, I cannot say, Doctor. I do know that from that experience, maybe that is why she brought you here, to see the one person on this planet that knows what you are going through from both ends." It was her turn to place her hand on his. "If there is another way, please think about it."

Martha nodded but chose not to speak, the confession he denied offering was coming fast, and she was prepared for the worst.

"He means to change things." She offered finally refilling his cup. "He means to find another way."

The man shook his head and sighed. "Hindsight is 20/20, my love. I am sure he means for a lot of things to be different. But, as I sit here in this peaceful kitchen a trillion distances away from my own reality, I find it hard to even consider another means out. "

"I had thought that too," she confessed, realizing that she too had never spoke of her own trial by fire. "I stood with humanity's future strapped to my chest and held its detonation in my hands." Martha's voice had become defiant, insistent. "I was ready to pull that trigger, and I am so glad I did not."

"Aren't you clever?" he asked with a sour mouth. "Don't you know better than to try and bend the future? Or am I destined to get more addled in the future, choosing someone who isn't smart enough to know when to shut up."

Martha folded her arms and leaned back. "Ah yes, now I know you are the same person. Pompous much?" she shook her head and answered her own question. "Of course you are, why do I keep being surprised by you? I mean you really are the same person over and over again. Maybe some times you are short, or tall or old. Sometimes I can get a word in edgewise, though most of you have permanent diarrhea of the mouth. "

"OOO that one, the one with the floppy hair and a chin sharpened like a dagger?" he grinned.

Martha rose and poured tea for him then produced a bottle of scotch. Martha brought the bottle and two glasses to the table and poured both near full.

"Have I led you to chase the bottle?" he asked as he sniffed his own glass.

"Are you asking that you in singular or plural?" she smirked.

"If you have to ask," The Doctor said but left the rest floating in the air. Simultaneously they raised their glasses and then downed the contents. The Doctor poured the second round and the two soldiers sat in the darkening kitchen mulling over the silence between them.

A small ardent wail spilled from somewhere in the house, breaking the silence and shooting Martha to her feet. The Doctor raised his hand and pleaded with a alight tip of his head

Martha darted to the doorway of the yellow kitchen and shook her head at the still seated man. "This works." she asserted, "By not involving Trevor in this too much." It had been too soon since her son's abduction in the name of visitation rights.

"You look as if I mean to slaughter and eat him." The Doctor said with a look that did not convince the nervous mother of his sarcasm. For her part, Martha returned his accusation with a look that assured the man at the table that was exactly what she expected him to do. "I know the rules, Martha. I recall them fairly well."

Martha nodded. "I know, it's just…there was an…incident… not too long ago. I am a little bit jumpy about the whole thing." Martha sighed. "I can't tell you too much since it hasn't happened yet"

"I'm sure you know he and me…we are the same, though I am loathe to admit it myself. That floppy haired one with the gob, he has a lot of anger rooting around in him."

Martha nodded in agreement, then remembered basic math"Wait, you came before..." Martha tried to determine where he was in the timeline. "That hasn't…hadn't…willn't….oh to hell with it. How do you know it was him?"

The Doctor smiled and patted her hand. "Don't bust a gasket Martha. Its not worth figuring out. I'm not worth figuring it out."

"Don't you dare say that" she hissed, sitting across from him again. "How can you say such a thing? Because you have had to make choices, to do things that have not been easy? If that is the case, then no one, no one sentient being that has ever existed, is worth it. I refuse to believe that, and I know yuou do too."

"It's more than that my dear." He shook his head, eyes that had borne into her seconds ago, now searched for solace in the murky liquid in front of him.

She flicked his chin with her finger to force him to look into her eyes. "It has taken me a long time to realize." She began, "And a bit of advice to understand that you are all the same man. Do you know what that means?"

"Is this the pep talk?" He asked callously.

Martha shook her head but met his eyes again. "No, I don't want to pep talk you into such a terrible thing, nor do I want to talk you out of it. In fact, I have no dog in this fight, other than the one that comes here to me when he needs me. One thing I know, Doctor. As gruff and tough as you think you are, you need me right now."

He nodded but said nothing. The silence filled the empty parts of the mugs on the table, while Martha gave silent thanks for Trevor having put himself back to sleep. At least for the time being.

"It's not an easy thing, Martha. " he spoke evenly, but his hands shook around the mug. "I am an old man who has done too much and seen too much. I don't want to forget, and I don't wish to regret. "

"Then don't do it." She plead. "Don't walk into that barn and do something that is going to af"fect you for the rest of your lives.

"I have to go and see to him," Martha said after another ardent sound from the infant upstairs.

The Doctor sighed, dismissing her with a wave of his hand as he turned back to his still steaming mug.

"Wait," she asked, one foot on the stairs. "Please don't go anywhere until I get back."

He nodded without turning to look at her. The Doctor took another good sip of whiskey before clearing his throat. Martha wasn't sure what she wanted him to wait for, but she knew what he was waiting for.

Martha paced the floor with Trevor, not sure if it was safe to leave the confines of the child's bedroom. She knew he wasn't particularly a bad man, he was her husband after all; but how much did she really know about this incarnation?

She felt herself gaining strength to go back down; to place in his face the reason he must keep going on. "You ready to go and see a friend?" she asked the still sleepy toddler. Trevor nodded but clutched at her shoulder a little tighter.

When they reached the kitchen, it was empty. "Bloody time lords, you never can keep them in one place." she mumbled to herself. A gland=ce out the window let her know =he was still there, somewhere. The blue box stood in its usual space, crushing Francine Jones's prized rose bushes. She saw him then, standing near the box. His hands were clenched and he seemed to gaze back at the house as if it were a mirage.

Martha grabbed a throw and placed it around Trevor and ran outside. He seemed to not notice her as she advanced to stand right in front of him. For a moment, Martha thought she would have to poke him to get his attention.

"Doctor," she said, hefting Trevor a little higher.

The Doctor's face dissolved into a dazzling smile and he held his hands out. "Come here my little man." He said.

Trevor leaned out of her arms and into the Doctor's. He laid his head onto the man's shoulder and sighed deeply as if he would fall back asleep. "There's a good lad."

Martha stood as the Doctor sang something to Trevor in Gallifreyian. She recalled her husband telling her that it was the one language the TARDIS didn't translate. "Why should she?" he had said when she prodded for an explanation. "It's her default setting."

The silence of the oncoming evening slithered through the solitary notes the man sang to his son. When he finished, he moved to her side and placed the once again sleeping child in her arms. "Wish you could stick around for that every night." She added.

The Doctor shrugged. "Don't know why that buffoon doesn't do it himself." He accused before opening the door. "We were quite good at this, once. Nothing has changed with parenting. Doesn't matter the planet or year or millennia. It's all the same. Give them love, time love, and more love." The Doctor sighed and turned again. "You let me get away with fart too much, Martha."

Martha nodded. "I suppose I do but your first marriage….I figured clipping wings was what ended that one."

The Doctor threw his head back anf laughed. "Is that what he told you?"

Martha shook her head.

He shook his head and moved to enter the TARDIS. "She outgrew me." He offered.

Martha let that sink in, but chose to offer him her own insight. "Doctor, you once told me….the one time you talked about it…there were 2.47 million children on Gallifrey" she said. "Don't think about them."

"My dear, you have no idea how foolish that request sounds." He began.

Martha raised her hand to cut him off. "Whatever happens, whatever decision you make, don't think about them. If you can recall, and I have a feeling there is something special about you, that you do remember unlike the others."

He nodded but did not speak.

"Think about him." Martha finished, darting her eyes to the toddler in her arms. "He is all that matters. If you can't make a decision for an entire planet full of children, then just make a decision for one."

He leaned over and placed a long kiss on her full lips. "Just one." He agreed. The Doctor quirked a smile and bowed low before shutting the door of the ancient ship.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

This time she was awake when he climbed into bed, still wearing his shirt and tie. "I love you." He whispered into the darkness.

She felt arms entwine around her and smiled into her pillow. "Of course you do."

"We managed to hide it, Martha. Its done."

"You'll find it again I am sure. Maybe not in this face or this side of eternity, but, it's always there, and you will stand barefoot in the red grass again one day, I know it."

"I remember you helped me; I would have gone and done it and not even thought of a second chance, or rewriting a time line. Martha, you softened me up."

She scooted to his side and placed her legs entwined into his. "I never apologized to you for not accepting all of you. "

The confusion was clear as the Doctor moved forward and sat up. "I don't understand."

"There is a first time for everything." She giggled. "But, me, leaving you for the man in the bow tie. Its affected you. I haven't always been the best wife for you. For that, I am sorry."

The Doctor shrugged again. "Live and learn, Martha. I admit it did affect me, the _**mes**_ before. But, this one. The me me, I am a very lucky man. You made me see that today. I was able to not do the worst thing a person could have ever done."

"Will we ever get it right?" she asked.

"I think we already have." He smiled and slid back down to take her into his arms. "We learn we fall, we stand, but in the end I have been grateful for one thing since I met you."

Martha tried to make out his features in the dark. "What's that?"

"I will look for Gallifrey; find a way to return her and all of my people. I will get them back. But, since I met you Martha, I am only looking for my planet. With you, I have always been home."


End file.
